The Director of Art and Culture
by demonslayermiu
Summary: (Formerly the Creative Type) Chapter Fourteen is all new!) The Host Club is the fabulously popular and handsome group of boys that are located in the Third Music Room of Ouran Academy! Follow their crazy antics and heartfelt moments through the eyes of the offscreen Art and Culture Director, Kiiro Harper! A new student from America that shares a past with the Shadow King!
1. A Change of Type

Chapter One: A Change of Type

"Kiiro?" her mother's eyes narrowed. "Honey, you don't have to change your name just because you're moving." she laid her hands on the book in her lap, prepared for yet another one of 'those' conversations with her second daughter. First it was "Mom, I want to go to Japan.". Then it was, "Mom, I want to live in Japan.". Now it's...

"Mom, I want to change my name." Alona tried once more. "It's just, you know, don't you want me to fit in a little more?" she appealed. "I mean, an English name is pretty useless unless you're in a country that speaks English." she smirked, sitting down across from her Mom. Debate was her forte. She had learned to think out her arguments long before they happened, watching her older sister wage war with her parents had trained her well.

"Alona, don't you think it's enough for me to let you move so far away?" her mother's shoulders slumped, her expression became a mixture of exasperation and disbelief. "On your own?"

"Yeah, Mom, but, I just..." Alona stopped, what was it she was really wanting to say? "I just...Alona, it really just doesn't sound like me, it sounds like someone else."

"And Kiiro sounds more you?" her father entered the room, tailing the men carrying the last of Alona's things. "I had an artist for a daughter." he chuckled. "I'll have you know, artist, that Alona was the name of your great-great-grandmother. It's a good family name." he set a hand on her head like he used to when she was about seven.

"Yes." she grinned up at him. "It means yellow."

"You're naming yourself after your favorite color?" her mother sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

"Yeah, but, I don't know, it sounds nice." she continued to was a long silence were her father observed his daughter. Her mother was currently wondering where she went wrong, but all he could think of was how this whole situation really was so...Alona. So he smiled back, ruffled his daughter's curls and shrugged, "Well, I suppose you've changed continents. Why not change your name?" he consented with the understanding only a father could have.

Her grin widened impossibly, "Thanks, Dad."

Her mother could only groan, "This is where we went wrong, Richard! I play the tough parent just so you can follow behind me to undermine my decisions!" she huffed, earning only laughter.

This was the kind of conversation being held in the first estate of the Harper family on the last night of Alona's residence. The summer before Alona had begged her parents to allow her to vacation in Japan, the country with which she was wholly enamored. And when she came back, she had begged her parents to allow her to live there, all on her own. Her father, who had the tendency to spoil his daughters, was confident that Alona was perfectly capable of living on her own and handling herself outside of the nest. Her mother, however, wasn't willing to have to cross an ocean just to see her father pecked her forehead, "Now, go spend some time with your sister before it gets to be too late. You'll need to tuck in early for tomorrow."

Alona hopped up, hugging her Dad and her Mom, who was still in a state of utter she left the room her mother, Marie, shot a glare at Richard, "I can't believe you're letting her move so far away! And to change her name!" she shook her head in shock.

"We'll see her plenty of times. Plus the world isn't as segregated as it was when we were little. Do you have any idea how much our phone bills are?" he joked. And to his wife's continued silence he added, "Alona's got a good head on her shoulders, she's the least of our worries. Ouran is a fabulous school, and the estate we have there is in a great neighborhood. It's fully staffed, and it has state-of-the-art security. There's nothing to worry about."

His wife sighed in defeat, "She's really grown up..."

"When did her favorite color stop being blue?" Richard wondered aloud.

* * *

Alona, newly christened Kiiro, departed from the States early the next morning, taking the first flight from Los Angeles, California to Tokyo, Japan. There was something empowering about flying somewhere alone at sixteen. Especially knowing that the home that awaited her was her's alone, in a new country. She'd be going to a new school. She was becoming someone new.

She settled into her first class seat, indulging herself in her own thoughts and her favorite music for most of the ride. After the long flight, just as the wheels of the plane touched the runway, her phone pinged, she unlocked it, screen illuminating with the new text.

"Welcome to Japan."

She texted back: "How did you know I just landed, Kyouya?" she couldn't get over how slightly creepy her old friend's seemingly psychic abilities were.

To which he replied, "Lucky guess."

* * *

Kiiro Harper was the middle child in her family. She had an older sister, Margot, who was currently on an extended vacation in Europe living the life of a rich twenty-two-year-old, and a younger sister, Aneleigh, a bookish girl who was currently studying the rest of her summer away. Her parents headed the Harper Relaxation Incorporation, a rapidly growing business that funded and founded hotels, resorts, restaurants and the like, anything really that was both a good investment and could be considered "relaxing". At a young age, Kiiro had taken up the arts, and after much tutoring and practice, she had come into some renown in certain circles. Her forte was paint. She had wanted to move to Japan after being influenced exponentially after her summer there. The architecture, the clothing, the food, and the culture had never really left her brush after she had toured the island. She was becoming what some might call a Grade A Japanophile. After her flight, she barely made it to her new bed before she collapsed from jet lag. She awoke to a call from her mother, making sure she was alright, and then she fully woke making short work of rearranging her room with the help of the household staff. She had two days until she started school again. Ouran Academy, Class 2A. When she returned from familiarizing herself with some of her new area on the second day, she discovered her uniform in her closet. In equal parts the puffy, light yellow dress was hideous and cute. Kiiro couldn't quite make up her mind about the thing. Her previous uniform had been less elegant dress and more schoolgirlish. Now she studied herself in her full length mirror, uncertain of whether or not she liked what she saw. The white cuffs were too tight, she made a mental note to look up the limitations on altering the uniform in the student handbook.

Over the summer she had let her hair grow past its usual shoulder-length look, now her chocolate-colored curls reached past her shoulder blades. The yellow went well with her skin tone, she was the kind of paper white that was rare for sunny southern California. Freckles dispersed themselves around her nose and cheeks, resting beneath wide, chocolate eyes. Her hourglass was mostly concealed in the bulk of her uniform. She adjusted her rectangular, plastic-rimmed glasses, it could be much worse.

Then again, it could be better.

* * *

'This place is gigantic.' Kiiro thought as she stepped out of her family car. The courtyard was probably the size of her manor. 'And extravagant.' She noted the fountain at center stage and the clock tower, the ritzy architecture and the general sprawl of the place. 'And impossibly pink.' Which was true, every visible building was painted pink, and some of the interior through the windows even. She was afraid she might get lost on the way to her classroom.

Sun came down in streaks over the sparsely populated courtyard. She was here early. It was required for new students to arrive approximately forty minutes before class so they could be led on a brief tour of the school buildings. Once she made her way inside, she took note of how quiet the halls were. Along the corridors, before the windows, intricately designed vases stuffed with vibrant red roses resided. The floors were made of marble, the ceilings were high and painted.

"How romantic." Kiiro found herself thinking aloud. "This place looks more like a girl's school than my old girl's school." she smiled.

She made her way to Classroom 2A.

"Good morning, Miss Harper." her class chairman greeted when she opened the door.

There before her stood the president of class 2A, Kyouya Ootori, and the vice-president, Ayame Jounochi.

"Hello." she smiled at them, exchanging bow for curtsy and curtsy for curtsy.

Kyouya introduced Ayame to Kiiro and Kiiro to Ayame. For a few brief minutes they discussed the typical school day and schedules and the kind of schoolwork she would have to do to catch up to the rest of the class, seeing as how it was the second trimester she was transferring into. But then Kyouya began the tour as obligated.

Kiiro knew Kyouya rather well. She had known him for years, in actuality. The raven-haired boy was a good friend she had met at the age of seven. They had an Internet penpal sort of friendship. Though they had met face-to-face a handful of times.

She followed him through libraries, important classrooms, art rooms, and the like. In a state of awe at how extravagant the academy was, Kiiro was mostly silent. Of course her previous private academy had been expansive and decadent, but this was almost too much. She liked it.

"I had never guessed that your school would be so...much." she stated once the general tour was concluded in a covered walkway that overlooked the courtyard.

"Ouran Academy holds high standards of excellence and elegance." Kyouya replied coolly, glasses glinting.

"It's definitely unlike any place I've experienced." she agreed.

"Mm. How has your stay been so far, then, Kiiro?" he asked politely.

She grinned at the use of her new moniker, a little bit pleased, "It's been wonderful!" she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "I went exploring yesterday. I didn't get too far, just out of the immediate neighborhood."

Kyouya smirked back, his trademarked half smile, "If you want to go exploring, I could show you the sights. It wouldn't be the first time I played guide, after all."

Kiiro's grin reappeared, "That's it, isn't it? Your 'host voice'."

He raised an eyebrow, "Host voice?"

"Which reminds me, what time are club activities?" she queried, looking down at the fountain below.

"After school. Would you like to visit the Host Club? Tamaki is relatively eager to meet you."

"Yes, actually. A Host Club sounds like such a bizarre thing. I'm excited to see what it's like."

"Bizarre is an understatement most of the time." Kyouya mused.

The first bell toned over the speaker system, getting their attention. Kyouya led her back to their classroom.

* * *

Having transferred in at the beginning of the second trimester, Kiiro wasn't quite looking forward to the heavy workload she would need to catch up. Kiiro was naturally introverted and, almost by proxy, advanced in pursuits of the mind. Few students were allowed to transfer into Ouran if they had truly only just finished their sophomore year of high school. But, Kiiro had passed her exams with flying colors for the sole purpose of transferring. She had to pass with near-perfect marks for her mother to allow her to move to Japan.

So, she buckled down and took notes.

Her morning classes passed in this way. Her lunch hour passed while she began to get to her substantial homework. Her art classes were a respite. And then, like that the first day of school was over and Kyouya was leading her to the Third Music Room. Where the lavish Host Club resided. A club where handsome boys entertained young ladies with too much time on their hands. Kiiro felt rather odd thinking about a host club. She had never even heard about them until Kyouya had told her about it years ago. It took him near an hour to explain it to her. She wasn't even sure why she was going, she definitely didn't have too much time on her hands, and she didn't believe she was very interested in boys. She would have to look into her reasoning later.

When they opened the door, said boys were already assembled, getting ready to open for business.

"Welcome!" came the unison greeting.

The boys stood at the center of the room, looking like something straight out of a shoujo manga. Kiiro smiled, a little at a loss for words.

The blond, at the center, was in Kiiro's class. Tamaki Suoh, King of the Host Club, Son of the Chairman of Ouran, spoke first, walking up to Kiiro in a flamboyant show, taking her hand, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Harper, I'm-"

"Tamaki Suoh, the princely type." Kiiro grinned, seemingly not phased by the boy's charm.

Kyouya chuckled as he passed the blond.

"So, Kyouya does talk about us, then?" Tamaki grinned, seeming more than a bit pleased.

"Gentlemen." Kyouya addressed the rest of the club. "This is Kiiro Harper, a friend of mine. She very recently moved here from the United States."

"I am in your care." Kiiro added the customary saying with a curtsy.

"I've heard quite a bit about you, Miss Harper." Tamaki continued with his meeting her.

"And I you." she smiled in reply.

She glanced at the other boys, there was the short, brunette with large brown eyes, "Haruhi Fujioka, the natural type.", there was a set of ginger-haired completely identical twins, "Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, the little devil types.", a boy that looked to be about ten with honey-colored hair and a pink bunny rabbit in tow, "Mitsukuni Haninozuka, the loli-shota type.", and a tall, black-haired boy with Mitsukuni on his shoulders, "And Takashi Morinozuka, the strong, silent type."

Kiiro listed them all off with confidence, though she had never met them before. Their images conveyed their type eerily well.

"So, you're one of Kyouya's friends?" the twins broke from the pack, circling her and eyeing her with duplicate gold shaded eyes.

"We weren't aware..." one began.

"...that Kyouya had friends..." the other continued.

"...outside the club." they met up and quickly became mirror images of each other, leaning against one another with their arms linked.

"I do have a personal life, you know." Kyouya interjected, unamused.

"I am, I think." her lips curled upwards, astounded. 'Amazing. Everything they do, they do in unison.'

"It's nice to meet you, Kiir-chan~!" came the sugary voice of Haninozuka, or Hani, for short. Despite his appearance, Hani was a senior. "Any friend of Kyou-chan is a friend of ours~! Would you like to try some of our cake~?"

"Good afternoon and thank you, but I'm not hungry, Haninozuka-sempai." Kiiro politely declined the cake. 'Kyouya was right. He does look like an elementary student.'

Mori looked on quietly, absorbing the goings-on, but not feeling the need to interject.

'Silent, indeed.' Kiiro noted.

"Go ahead and make yourself comfortable, Miss Harper, club is about to start." Haruhi said to her with a positively cute smile.

"Yes, thank you."

Kiiro took a seat across from Kyouya, ever the one to seek familiarity in new surroundings, and within minutes girls started filing in. It was so strange, Kiiro had never witnessed anything as odd as a host club. She watched as Tamaki cooed over various "princesses", as Haruhi smiled and told the quaint stories of the commoner variety. Hani was as childlike in character as in appearance, sweetly laughing at his guests and chatting with Mori, who responded with "Hm." rather often.

The twins, that was the weirdest part. If she didn't know better, which she wasn't completely sure that she did at this point, she'd say they were acting extremely "close". As in, more than sibling close. As in, twincest close. Hugging and holding hands and whispering things. The girls were going crazy over it, though.

"From my observations, you wouldn't be the type to request Hikaru and Kaoru." Kyouya interjected when she caught her staring at the Hitachiin brothers with a confused expression, "It's true that the "Brotherly Love" act is a bit overwhelming at first."

"Good, so it's not just me." she smiled, turning her attention to him.

He sat with his chin in his hand, his laptop open beside him, his grey eyes watching from behind his glasses, "So, what are you doing here, Kiiro?"

"Well, I wanted to check out what this club was."

"No, I mean, why move to Japan?" he sat up straight. "I can understand a love of foreign lands and cultures. But couldn't that wait until after school?"

Kiiro gave it some thought, "I...I don't rightly know, I mean, yeah, it could have. But, I really like it here. Like I have to be here. I sort of felt a pull I guess." Upon seeing the still-questioning look from the raven-haired boy she added, "One of those artistic types, yes?" she smirked.

Kyouya let it drop.

After a few minutes of silence, Kiiro got out a sketch pad from her bag, sketching out what she saw, almost absentmindedly.

She stopped mid-sketch, asking, "I'm curious, and I hadn't asked before, why did you help found this club, Kyouya?" she turned back to him, who in turn looked up from the screen. His curious expression made Kiiro look away. "Er, well, more, do you host as well? Because I mean you don't have any guests right now. Well, it could be because I'm here, I should move right." she downgraded into speaking to herself.

"Stay." Kyouya raised an eyebrow with a half smile, getting her attention. "I don't always get guests. To be honest, I crunch numbers more than I entertain customers. I'm also in charge of our website, and our shop, and the production of our products. I could go on. We even change into costumes sometimes, rather culturally. Of course it's at the whim of our King." he gestured at the blond, who was still busy charming the ladies sitting with him on one of the overstuffed sofas.

"That sounds like quite a bit of work for a vice-president." she weakly smiled. 'So Tamaki's really just the poster child.'

"You know, Kiiro," he began, "if you're interested, we could always use the extra help. And what with your artistic ability, I believe you would make a wonderful Art and Culture Director. Whenever we did a cultural showpiece, I could consult you. But only if you're interested, of course."

"Of course I'm interested!" Kiiro chirped, grinning to beat the band.

Kyouya smirked back, lacing his hands together, pleased.

And that's how Kiiro became the infamous Host Club's rather overlooked Arts and Culture Director.


	2. Adapting

Chapter Two: Adapting!

Kiiro arrived in the Third Music Room slightly before some of the boys. The first-years were there, Haruhi and the Twins.

"Good afternoon, Kiiro-senpai." Haruhi greeted her.

"Afternoon, Haruhi." Kiiro smiled at the brunette who was about the same height as her. "You don't have to be so formal, you know, just Kiiro will suffice." she assured him.

"Ah, the Boss has already tried that multiple times with her." one of the twins explained, shrugging.

The other looked at his twin with alarm, "You meant "him", Hikaru! You called Haruhi a "she"." he laughed almost exaggeratedly.

"Ah!" Hikaru laughed too. "Sorry about that, man." he patted Haruhi's shoulder. "Yeah, that's just "his" way!"

Haruhi gave them a strange look.

"Right." Kiiro shrugged it off, the twins were strange, after all. She set her bag down on one of the tables, a pencil rolled out of it.

She reached down to grab it, at the same time Haruhi did, his wrist peeking out of his bluish-lavender jacket. Their fingers brushed.

"I got it, Kiiro-senpai."

"Thank you, Haruhi." she accepted her pencil back, looking over the natural type as he began speaking to the twins.

'Haruhi has such girlish wrists, and his fingernails are so well kept. Not at all like a guy's fingers.' she smiled. 'I wonder if commoners can afford to get manicures?'

Tamaki and Kyouya entered, pulling Kiiro out of her thoughts.

"Kiiro?" Kyouya got her attention.

"Oh, yeah?" she turned to him.

"Tamaki wants to do a Springtime showcase, we'd need traditional Japanese dress."

"And waiter uniforms! So we can serve our guests beneath the cherry blossoms!" Tamaki swooned, striking an enthusiastic pose.

"Serving our guests?" the twins asked in unison. "But we're rich, right? Why don't we just hire someone to do that?"

"You two doppelgangers just don't understand!" Tamaki pointed accusedly at them. Getting lost in an argument.

"And waiter uniforms." Kyouya continued, deadpan. "And it needs to be held under cherry trees."

Kiiro knitted her eyebrows, "But it's late summer, why are we having a Springtime thing?"

Kyouya half-smiled, "You'd be surprised how often spring rolls around in this series."

She ignored the comment, "Anywho..."

* * *

Kiiro began observing odd things about Haruhi. His eyes were rather feminine, his manner of speaking. Tamaki wanted him to wear "feminine attire", his skin was soft. His figure was slight, his voice was rather high for a boy.

She wasn't going to bring it up, some people were just born with traits of the other gender. Plus, androgyny was always the "in" thing.

He was a quaint type of person, he spoke of going to supermarket sales and cooking.

'What if it's because his mom isn't around? He took on a lot of her roles after she passed. Causing him to acquire slightly girlish tendencies. Like how he speaks and walks. Besides, I was pretty sure Kyouya said something about how his Dad's a transvestite.' Kiiro was lost in thought. 'Yeah, that would probably blur your gender identity.'

She was in the second floor bathroom. Having wandered out of the library on lunch time. As she washed her hands and turned to leave, she ran right into the object of her thoughts.

She bumped right into Haruhi Fujioka.

"H-Haruhi, th-this is the girl's restroom." she stuttered.

"Y-yeah, uh, the..." Haruhi stuttered back. "I thought this one would be unoccupied."

"Oh my gosh! That was incredibly rude of me, wasn't it?" Kiiro apologized quickly, waving her hands before her. "I get it. It makes sense. Sorry, I didn't realize! I didn't mean to be rude."

"N-no, it's fine." Haruhi stammered. "I'm kind of surprised Kyouya-senpai didn't tell you, actually."

And Kiiro fled from the awkwardness red-faced, 'Yeah, it totally makes sense now!' she held her palm to her forehead. 'He's transsexual! So of course he'd use the ladies restroom. That's why the hosts slip when they talk to him because he wants to be called a "she" and they want to dress him up sometimes to make him feel more comfortable!' she explained to herself.

She texted Kyouya, "Why didn't you tell me about Haruhi? I would have understood."

To which he replied, "I knew you would figure it out on your own."

* * *

Later that week they were getting measurements for their "traditional Japanese costumes and waiter uniforms", the boys had gotten theirs done at a tailor's, but Haruhi had to have his done privately. Kyouya asked if Kiiro would mind doing this, so now they were in the changing room of Music Room Three.

"Now try not to feel uncomfortable, Haruhi." Kiiro was assuring him. "I completely understand your situation. And it's nothing to be ashamed of."

Haruhi smiled, "I'm not ashamed of anything, Kiiro-senpai, I really just have to dress this way to pay off my debt." he held out his arms as Kiiro fiddled with a tape measure.

"That's kind of sad." she replied. "Repressed because of your lack of riches."

"You're starting to sound a little like Tamaki-senpai on me." he chuckled. "And I wouldn't say I'm repressed. I was never really girly to begin with."

"Right! How rude of me." Kiiro apologized. "Gender identity is a wide spectrum, not even a line really..." she trailed off, confusing the younger student. "Now I don't mean to be invasive, but would you mind removing your shirt for chest measurements, please?"

"Alright." Haruhi undid his button up as Kiiro logged his other measurements.

When she looked back up, she nearly face-palmed at her own idiocy.

Haruhi was in her bra.

He was a she.

Haruhi was a girl, biologically.

"Y-you're a girl."

Haruhi tilted her head, "I thought we went over this, senpai?"

"I-I thought you were transsexual."

She started laughing with gusto.

Kyouya had the same reaction when she relayed the incident to him later that day.

* * *

"So, Tamaki, the twins, and yourself will be in waiter uniforms?" Kiiro asked.

"Correct." Kyouya affirmed.

The twins chased Haruhi to the left side of the room, trying to make her dress in a cutesy rabbit suit. Tamaki chased the twins who were chasing Haruhi, trying to make her dress in a cutesy rabbit suit.

Hani was asleep.

"And, Haruhi, Mori-senpai and Hani-senpai will be dressed in traditional yukata for the afternoon?" Kiiro inquired.

"Right." Kyouya answered.

The twins chased Haruhi to the right side of the room, trying to make her dress in a pretty bunny suit. Tamaki chased the twins who were chasing Haruhi, trying to make her dress in a pretty bunny suit.

Hani was asleep.

"You'll be showcasing the British antique tea sets, yes?" Kiiro tapped her pencil to her lips.

"Yes." Kyouya pushed a list of the sets in question before her.

"And for the group dressed traditionally?"

Kyouya raised an eyebrow.

"By any chance, would anyone of that group know how to preform the tea ceremony?" she asked. "Since this will be a split presentation, wouldn't it make sense for both groups to showcase their separate tea trends, rather than just the British one?"

"Hm, that's not a bad idea." he typed something on his laptop. "I'll need to look into what sort of sets we can get our hands on."

The twins bumped into a table while chasing Haruhi, who refused to wear the cutesy/pretty rabbit/bunny suit. Tamaki gasped upon realizing that the twins had bumped into a table while chasing Haruhi, who refused to wear the cutesy/pretty rabbit/bunny suit.

Thankfully, Hani was still asleep.

At the sound of tea cups clinking and a soft splashing, Kiiro looked over to where the King and the Twins stood freaking out, which was also where Haruhi stood without freaking out.

On the table Hani's plush bunny, Usa-chan lay, covered in spilt tea.

"Now, we've done it!" Tamaki cried, hands in his hair.

The Twins launched into their defense, blaming Tamaki for the spill. The trio began to argue, loudly, only interrupted when Kyouya interjected, "We don't have any guests right now, so you can be as noisy as you want." he crossed one leg over the over, turning to look at them. "But is it okay? Hani-senpai might wake up.'

The room was eerily quiet for a moment.

Haruhi walked over to where Hani slept peacefully on one of the sofas, "Well, it can't be helped, let's just wake him up and apologize to him."

Tamaki and the Twins jumped behind an adjacent sofa whispering harshly, "Wait don't get too close to him, Haruhi!"

Kiiro mirrored Haruhi's look of confusion.

"Okay, this is just legend, but, Hani-senpai is said to have a very bad temper when he wakes up!"

Kiiro found that hard to believe. In all the short time she had known Hani-senpai, he had proven to be sweeter than most children.

"I've never seen him like that before." Haruhi gave them a disbelieving look.

"Even if his mood was good up until now that doesn't mean it will always be the same!" Tamaki continued, holding his hand beside his face in a check shape. "On top of that, I heard that Senpai's Usa-chan was hand-made by his favorite late-grandma! It must be very important to him, because he carries it with him wherever he goes! What if he sees that Usa-chan is a whole different creature when he just wakes up?"

"We'll be the ones who will turn into completely different creatures!" The trio screamed.

"I firmly believe in my theory, don't you remember his act during the 'Renge Incident.'?"

"That was real..."

"...nobody can make an expression as good as that..."

"...unless they already have a foundation."

"And the most important part is that...Hani-senpai's blood type is AB!" Tamaki finished.

'So is mine...'

"Meaning..." the twins started in unison.

"Same as Kyouya."

"Don't you think that will hurt my feelings?" Kyouya injected.

Kirro was still confused, "I believe I've hit a cultural barrier on blood types."

Kyouya turned to her, "In Japan blood types attribute to personality types. AB types are considered to have dual personalities." he explained simply.

"Ah."

Hani turned in his sleep and all of their blood ran cold.

"Not good, we should do something before he wakes up. Hikaru, Kaoru!"

"Yes, sir!" The pair snapped to attention.

"Go get your family's private sesuna! Fly to Mt. Osore and ask Itako to come. We'll ask Hani-senpai's grandmother to come out and make a new Usa-chan!"

The Twins expression went flat, "Seriously?" they said in unison. "We don't have that much time. It's ok to get confused, but next time please say something more constructive."

Tamaki panicked, "Fine. We'll do this instead! We'll have Usa-chan dry cleaned and in the meantime, Haruhi..." he turned to her. "Wear this bunny suit!" he produced the bunny suit from earlier.

"Great idea!" the Twins concurred.

"It's too obvious!" Haruhi said darkly.

"It's all right! He'll be too sleepy headed to notice the size difference!" Tamaki began chasing her around.

"Then you wear it, senpai!"

"But I won't be cute in it!"

With all the noise, Hani began to stir, he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Fine! substitute strategy number two!" Tamaki screeched in terror. He produced a stuffed bear from nothing, laying it on Hani's lap.

Caught up, Kiiro looked on, not quite sure Hani would fall for it.

Hani angrily threw the bear on the floor.

"MY KUMA-CHAN!" Tamaki screamed.

"So he is in a bad mood..." Kiiro went wide-eyed.

"We're next!"

Hani stood, walking grumpily and sleepily over to where he last left Usa-chan, "My Usa-chan..." he growled, turning to the group with an expression Kiiro had never seen before. "Who dirtied it?" his voice warped into something demonic.

"Mori-senpai help us!" the trio shrieked.

Mori made himself apparent from where he stood observing the chaos, he simply stated, "Usa-chan really wanted to drink some tea."

Everything went quiet.

"I see!" Hani giggled, "That's how his face got dirty!"

'A complete one-eighty.'

* * *

"I'm so bored..." Hikaru stated.

"...I can barely stay awake..." Kaoru finished.

"What should we do?" They said in unison.

"We should play a trick on somebody..."

"...but who?"

"Who haven't we played a trick on?"

"I know."

"Ne, Kyouya," Kiiro walked out of the storage room, carrying different tea ceremony items. "Which bowl is for water and which is for tea?"

"Oh, Kirro's so polite and nice all the time..."

"...I wonder if she ever gets mad?"

"She is Blood Type AB."

And so operation Awaken the Sleeping Demon came into being.

"But what should we do?"

"Normally annoying things wouldn't work."

"We have to do something..."

"...extravagant."

"I know."

The next day during her first art class, she found the canvases she had finished previously messed with. Atop the depictions of springtime and landscapes were too bright flowers, wrong shades, no shadows, flat paint. She knitted her brow.

"That's odd, Kiiro-senpai..." Hikaru began.

"...you're paintings look different from before." Kaoru finished.

"Y-yeah, who could have messed with them?" she could feel her nerves twitching. 'It was obviously them! Why bully me like this?'

The day after that all of her pencils had gone missing.

The day after that all of her paints had the wrong labels.

The day after that all of her camera film in her photography class went missing as well.

In all of this time she knew it was the Twins just trying to annoy her. She hadn't said anything to them, yet.

Then, on the last day of that week, at club, she had reached down into her bag, "Kyouya, I sketched out a plan of how next week's set up might look..." she flipped open her sketch book and it was filled with childish and annoying doodles of the Twins.

She went quiet.

Kyouya looked up from his laptop, "Kiiro?"

A dark aura crowded her, she looked over to where the Twins sat, snickering, she stood making her way over to them.

There were no guests so she grabbed each of them by an ear, "Brothers Hitachiin." she growled. "I know it was the two of you who have been continuously harassing me throughout this week, though I have no idea why! To have offended me like so, you will have to pay for your misconduct. I expect all of my missing things back by Monday, all things in their right order, new, properly mixed paints and you will assist me in correcting the paintings you tweaked!' she let go of them, turning to the surprised rest of the Host Club. "I'm sorry, everyone. Please excuse my mood." she faced the Twins. "I need an answer, boys..."

"Y-yes, m'am!" they said, shocked.

"Thank you." she smiled, sweetly.

"She even scared Hika-chan and Kao-chan..." Hani whispered in a group huddle.

"She's like a Demon Queen." Tamaki declared.

"So that's the personality she hides." Kyouya said, impressed.

"Wow, I really didn't expect that." Haruhi added.

"..." Mori said nothing, but this time out of shock.

The Twins handed over her sketch book thinking, 'She really must be Kyouya-senpai's friend!'

"Amazing, Kiiro-senpai, I didn't realize anyone could make them behave." Haruhi smiled at her. "Or scare them.'

"Am I really that scary?" she fretted.


	3. Physicals and Fights

Chapter Three: Physicals and Fights

"It's Spring, everyone, well, what does Spring remind you of?" Tamaki asked.

'Efflorescent blooms in pinks and reds, soft, light blue skies with a beautifully contrasting yellow sun.' Kiiro thought serenely.

"Promotion in grades!" The twins said. They were promptly tied up and gagged by Hani and Mori.

"How could they want to let Mori-senpai and Hani-senpai graduate?" Tamaki continued.

"I'm quite sure it doesn't work like that." Kiiro peeped.

"If you ask me," Tamaki progressed, his voice barely containing his excitement. "Spring reminds me of cherry blossoms."

"That's pretty normal." Haruhi added. Tamaki then proceeded to sulk in the corner.

Today the host club was arranged underneath a grove of cherry blossom trees. The twins, Tamaki, and Kyouya were dressed as waiters and Mori, Hani and Haruhi were dressed in traditional Spring Japanese attire. Kiiro's position in the club was finally producing fruit. And the boys were entertaining the girls as usual: Tamaki was flattering 'princess' after 'princess', the Hitachiin were putting on a 'twincest' act which involved one of them scalding themselves, Kyouya was making some seemingly nonchalant musings about the world around him... and of course making profit off of merchandise, Hani was being too cute for words, Mori was being silent and looking after Hani, and Haruhi... well... Haruhi was being natural. It was beautiful and warm and Kiiro was glazing a vase for tomorrow's class. She was watching them as always, getting a kick out of their funny conversations and actions.

"It's true that we are busier being appreciated than we are appreciating somebody else," Tamaki was droning on as usual. "Moreover, I'm the most Springish person now. Can you guess which part of me is Springish, Haruhi? I'll give you three minutes to think about it..."

"Your brain?" Haruhi replied coldly and quickly.

Tamaki fell to the ground as if he had been shot, then crawled over to his corner again, collecting a gloom about him.

The twins came up and surrounded Haruhi. "Haruhi, have you decided which electives you'll take this quarter?"

"Let's take the same electives."

"Since we're in the same class." The said in unison. No doubt teasing Tamaki.

"...Mommy?" Tamaki croaked.

'Mommy?'

"What is it...Daddy?" Kyouya replied, opposition slightly hinted in his tone.

'Mommy and Daddy? Kyouya said they were like a family to Tamaki, but to call themselves Mommy and Daddy?' Kiiro couldn't help but laugh.

"This is only a hypothesis, but, I always thought I was with Haruhi all the time but that was just an illusion caused by all the club activities we've been having recently. So can it be, that the twins, by being in the same class as Haruhi, know much more about her than I do?"

"Ah, about that matter, I have photo evidence," Kyouya replied showing Tamaki hidden camera snapshots of Haruhi and the twins. "They spend nine hours a day with her at school, while you spend two hours with her during club activities, but if you subtract the time you spend with guests, you only have one hour with her." Kyouya displayed a couple of circle graphs on a whiteboard representing the time spent with Haruhi.

"You prepared graphs for this exact occasion?" Kiiro questioned, joining the fray.

He smirked.

"In other words, I can only spend 3% of Haruhi's life in a year!" Tamaki dressed up as a traditional japanese play character and attempted to punish the twins. "You bastards, stand there!"

"He's into Japanese play lately..." Kaoru explained.

"Yeah, I think his brain is..." Haruhi trailed off.

"Oharu!" Tamaki exclaimed, addressing Haruhi. "You must return to your true form and live happily with your girl friends, and that's my wish as a father! Here, go back, go now." Tamaki tried pushing Haruhi into the opposite direction.

The twins were now dressed as traditional characters and were attempting to take care of Tamaki.

"Well, we don't have to rush the matter, anyway, we'll soon have..." Kyouya trailed off.

"Ha-ru-chan! Tell me, when is your class physical examination day?~" Hani interjected.

"That's no good. I'll be found out." Haruhi stated.

* * *

Once back in the Third Music Room, the club watched as Tamaki was having one of his usual unusual daydreams.

"From the beginning Haruhi and I were romantic comedy characters!" he explained. "We knew the results without thinking about them!" he laughed.

"Oh yeah, then what about us?" the Twins asked with obvious irritation.

"You are the homosexual side characters." the King announced proudly, drawing a line between himself and the other boys.

Kiiro suppressed a laugh from where she sat observing them.

"Do you really understand, Tono?" the Twins asked. "If anyone finds out that she's a girl, she won't be able to stay in the Host Club."

Tamaki went white with the shock of the realization. And after further elaboration: namely, the fact that Haruhi would most likely be immensely popular with the boys of Ouran if she dressed like a girl bringing Tamaki's chances of ever getting close to her even further down, Tamaki began to cry.

So, of course, by the time Haruhi arrived, they had devised a plan. One that Haruhi would go along with once bribe with the chance to try otoro sushi.

Kyouya came over to the sofa, sitting next to Kiiro. His aura was dark.

"Something the matter?" she inquired.

"I'm not a homosexual side character." he very nearly huffed.

She stifled a giggle, "That? I was thinking it might have something to do with Haruhi's physical."

"Which would be a problem if all of the doctors weren't from my family's hospitals." he leaned back.

"W-wait, you're not going to tell them that?"

The dark look in his eyes told her that no, he was not going to let Tamaki have that satisfaction, "He called me a side character." he reasoned.

She chuckled.

"Oh, you think it's funny?"

"Yes. You're so torn over something he babbled without thinking about."

Kyouya was silent for a while, before, "Kiiro, do you remember how we met?"

"Yes, well, not directly, but I know how it happened. It was so long ago." she reminisced.

"Ten years now."

* * *

"Margot, watch over your sister for me." their mother instructed. "There's a lot of nice kids here, Alona. Go make some new friends."

Kiiro-then-Alona's older sister, Margot made a beeline for the other eleven-year-olds, leaving seven-year-old Alona on her own. She found a nice spot in the garden, where she could admire the flowers and the adults in nice suits and dresses inside the large mansion beside her.

"You're watching them dance?"

She turned to see a raven-haired boy about her age beside her.

"Mhm. I think dancing is a wonderful thing to watch." she said nervously, unsure of how to talk to strangers.

"Have you ever danced?" he asked, glasses lit with the ballroom light.

"No, not like that." she admitted.

"It's easy." he extended his hand.

She accepted it.

And by the end of the gala, she had made her first friend.

The gala was the Satou Gala, held every few years. To which the Harper family and Ootori family always attended. Kiiro went every time and Kyouya had always asked her to dance. Somewhere in-between, they started exchanging emails and texts.

* * *

"Come to think of it," Kyouya interrupted her thoughts. "The Satou Gala is being held this year, will you be there?"

"Of course." she smiled. "If I can figure out how to get there, I'm still not that great at navigating this city."

He shrugged, "I'll just have to take you then." he concluded.

Kiiro found it rather odd that her face began to heat up.

* * *

"In regards to your records, Miss Harper," the nurse began, flipping through the papers on her clipboard. "You've seemingly lost three-quarters of an inch in height." she smiled. "Such a petite girl."

"Ah, what?" Kiiro felt like she was struck by lightning. 'I've shrunk an inch?! How is that possible? I was already short enough!' she distressed. 'And how did that nurse deliver that in such a polite way?'

The room around her was full of nurses and doctors, students preparing for their physicals.

All of Kiiro's previous physicals had taken place at an all girls school. But here the exam rooms were filled with both genders. So, of course, the Host Club took advantage of the fact.

"Kyaaah!" a group of girls screamed.

Kiiro turned her head to see why they were being so loud, 'Uh, what?'

"Are you trying to overtake my height this year?" Tamaki asked.

"We'll see about that." Kyouya replied.

The two were standing, shirtless, in the midst of their fangirls.

Kiiro blushed before looking the opposite way, "H-have they no shame?" she squeaked, earning a polite laugh from her nurse.

Kiiro took a seat in the waiting area after her exam, watching as the Host Club struggled to carry out their wild plan to keep Haruhi's secret, which included the Twins making a brotherly love moment, Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai dressing as back up doctors, and Tamaki donning a brown wig trying to disguise himself as Haruhi at Hikaru and Kaoru's urging. Finally, Kyouya just directed Haruhi to a separate room in the Special Boy's Clinic Room, having told a doctor all about her situation.

Still reeling from being told she had shrunk, she slunk, defeated, back to her afternoon classes.

Which meant she had missed out on all the action. A man, dressed as a doctor had stumbled into the academy. Somehow he had came across as a pervert to one of the girls, who screamed, so he ran off, into the Special Boy's Clinic. Which was where Haruhi was. So, of course, the Host Club lept into action. In the end the man was just looking for his daughter, who had left him when their family split up. She didn't attend Ouran, so Tamaki had a map drawn up for him, wishing him luck in reuniting with his child.

'So, overall, today seemed anticlimactic.' Kiiro sighed after Kyouya had explained the day's goingsons to her.

"By, the way, Kiiro," he added. "Speaking technically, it's highly unlikely that you've shrunk in size."

"So it's an anomaly..." she huffed. "I'm already the shortest of my sisters."

"What's wrong with that?" he smirked, Host voice taking over. "Some men are more attracted to women who are shorter in size."

Her face reddened, "No trying that voice with me, Kyouya."

* * *

It all started when the Twins got very bored.

"Nobody will believe this, boys." Kiiro chuckled. "The body is too tall, she is much shorter, she looks sort of disproportionate. I suggest using a different torso."

"No way..."

"...this will be fine..."

"...nobody will notice it." the Twins countered.

"Girls tend to think foggily when it comes to this sort of thing."

"Thanks, guys, as a girl myself, that comment makes me feel so dignified." Her voice dripping the not-quite-rare sarcasm.

"Hikaru! Kaoru!" Tamaki entered the room, red with anger. "I left the two of you in charge of the club's website because you promised to handle it seriously!" he produced his own laptop, on the club's website. They were talking about a composite picture. The Hitachiins had photoshopped Haruhi's face onto Tamaki's torso.

"We are being serious, Tono." Kaoru corrected.

"Yeah, we stayed up all night last night." Hikaru validated.

Kiiro had to admit, it was kind of funny. Tamaki, however, stuck in his normal dreamland, wasn't finding it quite so humorous, believing it to be an actual picture of Haruhi from the back. Hani, as seemingly oblivious as he can be, must have believed it was real as he began fawning over Haruhi's "coolness". Haruhi just looked rather devastatingly at her supposed photo.

"...Shame on you!" Tamaki patronized the brothers, "If you really want to do it, you must use these idol's photography collections to generate her photos," Tamaki's mood changed so quickly it was scary. "I want to see her wearing a pink, fluffy dress." he twirled around the club room, holding aforementioned dress.

Haruhi sighed, exasperated, she asked the Twins, "What am I to you guys really?"

They turned to her, smiling, "That goes without saying, you're a toy." they responded in their usual eerie unison.

"If you like toys, please join my club." An astoundingly creepy, sing-song-y voice came from behind Kiiro, making her (and Tamaki) jump about three feet in the air. Which, in turn, earned a chuckle from Kyouya.

"W-where did that come from?" she stuttered. When she regulated her breathing and turned around she saw a dark-haired boy in a black cloak...with a weird cat puppet on his hand...

"Currently we're organizing the world's magical artifacts. If you join us now, we will throw in a wonderful cursed voodoo doll." the boy continued, producing a wooden cat from his cloak.

"Why must he appear out of the shadows...?" Haruhi stammered, echoing, for all the world, Kiiro's own thoughts.

"Because Nekozawa-senpai doesn't like light." Kyouya stated, not phased.

"You must not become involved in his life..." Tamaki piped up, creepily sneaking up on Haruhi, making her jump this time. "If you do you're sure to be cursed."

"What's a cursed voodoo doll?" Kaoru asked.

"What about this much light?" Hikaru added. They held flashlights up to Nekozawa's face.

"AAAAHHHH! MURDERERS!" was the overdramatic reply.

The boy ran out of the room at top speed, through a dark door in the overly-pink room that Kiiro could swear wasn't there moments before.

"Waah! Hikaru! Kaoru!" Tamaki wailed. "What's wrong with the both of you? Looks like you haven't experienced real terror!"

"Real terror?" Kiiro questioned.

"Yes! Like the time that I accidentally stepped on Beelzeneff!"

"Who's Beelzeneff?" Kiiro asked Kyouya.

"The cat puppet."

"After that incident, my exam papers were filled with a jumble of nonsensical, illogical incantations, probably curses!" he cried. "When I realized that the situation seemed suspicious, I glanced around the room and realized that I was warped to a different place filled with strangers!"

"Like an alternate dimension?!" Kiiro peeped.

"No, Tamaki, you were so disturbed that you wandered into the wrong classroom and went to take a Greek exam." Kyouya clarified.

"Oh." Kiiro said, fear resolved.

"No! That's a curse! Three mornings after, I woke up and for no reason at all my legs became as heavy as lead!" the blond insisted, striking a tragic pose.

"Really?" Kiiro peeped, again.

"No, that's because we had a marathon the day before, right?" Kyouya corrected.

"Oh."

"Come to think of it," the Twins spoke up, looking devilish. "All of those who speak to Nekozawa-senpai get their &&%$&&%#*^" they trailed off describing inexplicable things.

"Okay, I'm out of this conversation now." Kiiro decided, guarding her ears from their dirty accusations.

"Were you scared?" she was asked.

"What do you mean scared, Kyouya?" she turned to the boy, his grin apparent but eyes hidden from the shine of his laptop on his glasses.

"Well, earlier, when Nekozawa-senpai came in, you jumped." he pushed up his glasses. "Were you scared?"

Her face heated up again, which it seemed to be doing a lot of recently, "N-no! I'm not that easily scared, it must have been your imagination." she closed her eyes, turning her head in the opposite direction.

A finger tapped her opposite shoulder, she whipped around to see who it was. Just Kyouya's hand.

"Not easily scared, hm?" he chuckled, earning her glare.

* * *

"No talking allowed. No movement."

"Prohibited from having customers for two days." read the notes Tamaki wrote and taped to the Twins.

Hikaru and Kaoru sat in the corner of the guest-laden room, brooms in their hands, a grimace on their faces.

The rest of the hosts however were following their normal charming routines. Which was interrupted when the Twins began yelling at each other over which one of them was more evil. Prompted by Haruhi's comment on who she could tell them apart as Hikaru was more devious.

"Hikaru, actually, you like Haruhi, right?" Kaoru accused. Which got Tamaki's attention.

And the self-proclaimed manager, and otaku, Renge Houshakuji came out of nowhere babbling about homosexual love triangles and rice.

"You'd better quit while you're ahead, Kaoru, your mathematical results are far below mine!" Hiakru yelled.

"You're the one who needs to work harder on your language abilities!" Kaoru retaliated.

"You're so irritating! Burrowing into my blanket when I'm asleep!"

"I only did that because I thought you were lonely!"

"That's it! We're over! Sever all ties!" they declared in unison.

"Are the Twins breaking up?" Kiiro questioned.

* * *

Kyouya sighed, "There goes the brotherly love package."

By the next day, both of the Twins had dyed their hair an equally outrageous color. Hikaru was now announcing himself as the pink-haired twin, as Kaoru was the blue-haired one. Both of which looked equally ridiculous.

That day, when the second year students had gotten to lunch, they were welcomed with screaming. In perfect unison, the fueding twins were trying to order different lunches and failing. Until finally Hikaru gave up and ordered something he didn't want. Which led to him trading his lunch for Haruhi's bento.

Tamaki had stars in his eyes, "Good work, Hikaru!" he exclaimed. "I'll trade you my A lunch for Haruhi's bento!" he gave the younger boy a thumbs up.

"No way, idiot Tono." Hikaru shrugged him off.

Tamaki collapsed in the corner, "I just wanted Haruhi's homemade heart lunch!" he cried.

"How many fantasies does he have daily, do you think?" Kiiro asked Kyouya.

"Too many to be considered human." he answered.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kiiro saw one twin throw something at the other, who retaliated. Their throwing escalated to a fullblown foodfight. Which ended when a spoon flew into the Vice-Chairman's soup, splashing his face. The Twins took off but the rest of the Host Club was made to clean up the cafeteria.

* * *

"Revenge will be exacted." Kiiro mumbled.

Back in the Music Room, the club sat at a large table in the near empty room seething, trying to think of a way to solve this matter.

The Twins were at the opposite end of the room, throwing things again.

"Because of them, I get the feeling that the rest of us are getting more worn out." Tamaki huffed.

"If the situation persists, we will have to cancel the brotherly love sessions," Kyouya got out a calculator and began crunching numbers. "I can assure you the request rates will definitely decrease. I'll think about their penalty later... Oh, and Haruhi?" he fake-smiled.

"Yeah?" the lower classman shrunk away.

"You don't have to worry about any responsibility, okay? Even if it was your tactless comment that sparked this catastrophe." he went on with...murderous intent.

Kiiro scooted her chair away from his evil aura.

"This is the first fight between Hika-chan and Kao-chan..." Hani stated sorrowfully. "I've known them since they were in Kindergarten. We weren't very close because of the difference of grades, but they always kept to themselves. They never had any friends and they looked so lonely."

"To be like that..." Tamaki began, only to be cut off by the Twins throwing spears at him. He dodged just barely, then jumped up declaring, "I'll definitely punish the both of them!" the King ran off in high gear after the pair.

They followed the trio out into the courtyard, where the Twins had set up boobytraps for Tamaki. By the time the club caught up, Tamaki was covered in eggs, with a chicken on his head.

"I'm the one who's troubled here!" Hikaru yelled. "I don't want to look exactly like Kaoru! Being mistaken for you...I'm fed up with it!" he balled his fists. "Actually, I hate you the most!"

Kaoru growled, "My thoughts exactly! Look at this!" he reached into his jacket, producing a featureless wooden cat figure.

"Oh no!"

"This is the cursed voodoo doll I got from Nekozawa-senpai! You're name is already engraved in its back! Now! I will let you feel the same pain and anguish as the doll!" he held it up high.

"Hey! This is going too far!" Haruhi interjected, stomping over to them.

"I'll make you..."

"STOP!" Haruhi hit both boys on their heads, they fell to the ground. "Don't use that kind of thing in such a stupid quarrel! Both of you are horrible, causing trouble for the people around you is the worst! Now apologize to everyone! And if you two don't make up and shake hands now you will never ever set foot in my house in this lifetime!"

A cat like grin spread from one twin to the other, "If we call it a truce can we go to your house?" they asked in unison. The voodoo doll was turned to reveal the word "blank" and Hikaru produced a script from his jacket.

Haruhi's jaw dropped as she realized what was happening.

They stood, hugging each other close, apologizing like lovers would, a big, mushy act of brotherly love.

"Ne?" Kiiro caught on. "We've been tricked." she stood dumbfounded.

Tamaki collapsed in realization.


	4. Apprentices and Mini-Vacations

Chapter Four: Apprentices and Mini-Vacations

The entirety of the Music Room was an Arabian palace. They put up silks in rich, warm colors, hanging reds and purples and oranges. Kiiro loved this sort of atmosphere, in fact, she had modeled her bedroom with Morocco in mind. The Hosts welcomed their guests in full guise. Long, warm cloaks and robes, turbans, scarves and heavy golden jewelry. Tamaki was sprawled out like a spoiled sultan in the middle of the group of barely dressed men, and Haruhi.

They welcomed a newcomer as one, before realizing...

"What, it's just a kid...and a boy kid, too." The Twins huffed.

'They're so intolerant of other boys...'

An elementary student stood before the door, looking indignant.

"What's the matter? Are you lost?" the Spoiled King asked. "Or did you come to my palace looking for something." he smiled haughtily.

"Ah...are you...the king?" the brown-eyed child asked.

Tamaki leaned in closer, cupping his ear, "KING!" the boy repeated.

"King." the club parroted.

Tamaki spun, 'awing', fluttering with joy.

"He's over the moon." Kiiro sweat-dropped.

"I am elementary school grade five Class A's Takaouji Shirou!" the boy pointed dramatically, gleaming with determination. "I 'm here to apply as the Host Club King's apprentice!"

Tamaki nearly fainted from joy.

* * *

And so, the King took to teaching Shirou his tricks of the trade.

Shirou sat mere inches away from the Princely Type and his clients, observing as closely as possible.

"You are my mermaid princess, my light in this dark, stormy sea." Tamaki charmed one guest.

She was swooning until, "You don't look like a mermaid at all. You look more like the carp that swim in my pond at home."

"Carp?!" she cried.

"Princess! Don't take it to heart! You know kids can't help but be honest!"

'Words, Tamaki.'

"Honest?!"

Tamaki's tries to fix the situation only made the situation worse, until finally his guest left the room distraught.

This brutal honesty of the elementary schooler earned him the Twins admiration, which he lost when he shrank away from their brotherly love routine calling them homos. And then he called Haruhi a transvestite, just before he dropped the tea set she handed to him. He accused Hani of being a child and Mori of being a giant. All in quick succession. And, having effectively insulted near everyone in the room, they had no choice but to pen him up in a cage that lowered from the ceiling.

"Where did that come from?" Kiiro mumbled.

"This room is full of surprises." Haruhi agreed.

"Let me out!" the kid struggled. "I'm serious! I'm running out of time! Teach me how to make women happy! You're a GENIUS, right, king?!" Shirou brown-nosed.

Tamaki, who was supposed to be exerting tough love, peeked over at the boy, "So you are serious? Use what you know, judging by your actions, you must become the Mischievous Kid Type. That would fit the taste of certain girls."

"There are girls who like that sort of thing?" Kiiro was a little bit grossed out.

"You would be infinitely surprised..." Haruhi said flatly, obviously agreeing with her.

"Bear in mind those certain girls tend to get indescribably moved by males of a younger age or those with a baby face." Tamaki concluded. "According to our analysis, the types they like could be classified into "Lolita", "Mischievous" and "Weak" types. Hani-senpai is the perfect Lolita type. And, the basics for the Mischievous type is to wear short pants even in winter!"

"Well, he is wearing short pants." Kiiro shrugged.

"I guess." Haruhi frowned.

"Draw wound marks on your cheeks and knees!" King ordered, the Twins obeyed. "Run mischievously and now fall down right there with all your might!"

Shirou did just as instructed thudding to the ground.

"Are you okay, little boy?" one of the guests asked.

"It's nothing." he said quickly, "I'm fine."

The girl swooned at his tough-guy act.

He growled, standing he yelled, "I-I've had enough! Baka! If you don't teach me seriously...just forget it!" he stormed out of the room.

King was caught off guard, "I didn't expect him to dislike the Mischievous Type." he mused, completely serious.

"He said there's no time..." Haruhi reflected. "What could he have meant by that?"

* * *

The Host Club had decided to do something they found themselves doing rather often, snoop. To see Shirou's predicament for themselves, Hani and a reluctant Haruhi were in disguise. Hani was dressed as an elementary student, 'Which makes sense.' Haruhi, as a middle school girl, 'Which doesn't.'

"I believe Tamaki just wanted to see Haruhi in the mini skirt." Kyouya seemed to read Kiiro's mind.

"Ah, well, it is kind of cute." she chuckled.

"Makes me feel nostalgic." Hikaru said, they were following the two incognito students into Classroom 5A.

"I wonder if the graffiti is still on the desks." Kaoru smiled.

"Unlikely, as the academy changes the desks after every year." Kyouya said flatly.

"If you guys were just going to follow us around, why did we dress up anyway..." Haruhi sighed.

The sound of footsteps in the hall. Everyone got down, excluding Kyouya, and hid under desks.

"Someone is coming, zip it." Haruhi ran her thumb over her mouth.

Everyone followed her example, 'She looks so cute!'

After all the footsteps died away, they all got up and looked at the photos at the far end of the room, "Look it's Shirou-chan~!"

"He's in the music club, then?"

"It's required club time now, isn't it?"

They all hurried down the hallway, looking for the Elementary Music Room.

"Here it is, shhh!"

They watched through the windows as a little girl addressed Shirou, "Takaouji-kun, have you practiced the new piano exercise piece yet?" she asked him, sheet music in hand.

"N-no, not much." he admitted.

"Then I'll teach you, so let's play together, okay?" she smiled, gesturing toward the two pianos in the room. "Takaouji-kun, why don't you take the grand piano?"

"Eh... That's fine, you can use it, Kamishirou. I'll just listen from here."

The girl's expression fell with disappointment

'Oh, I think I see what's going on here.' Kiiro thought as all the pieces snapped into place.

"You see it too?" Kyouya whispered. Kiiro was still getting used to the fact that he could most likely read her mind.

"Yes."

Music wafted out of the room, Kamishirou was playing her piece.

"Ah, excuse me, young lady." Tamaki kneeled offering a rose to an elementary girl walking the corridor. "Can you tell me anything about the girl who's playing the piano there?"

"About Kamishirou Hina-san?" the girl accepted the rose. "Well, she will be moving away soon. I heard that, because of her father's job, they will be moving to Germany after next week."

"So he really doesn't have much time..." Kiiro frowned.

"What are you doing?!" Shirou burst out of the room and into the hallway. "What are you trying to pull by coming all the way here?!"

Tamaki picked him up.

"Ah! Put me down! Let me go, you stupid king!" Shirou pounded on his back.

"You're the one being stupid! How do you make a girl happy? Don't make me laugh." Tamaki huffed as Shirou flailed and kicked. "Even if you asked us so much, we wouldn't answer you. Because you don't want to make girls in general happy. You want to make her happy, right?" he sighed. "That method is one you can only look for in yourself."

Shirou stopped fighting, defeated, he said, "Forget it, there's no time. I wish to at least watch her play. That's why..."

Tamaki carried him all the way to the Third Music Room and set him down in front of a piano.

"I didn't know they had a piano in here." Kiiro and Haruhi mused.

"Of course, it's a music room after all." the Twins said in unison.

"That's because this is a music room." Kyouya echoed.

"It's been placed in that unseen corner for a long time~." Hani stated.

"What is the practice piece then?" Tamaki asked Shirou as he sat at the grand piano's bench. "Is it Schubert's? A sonata piece for a four-handed performance?" he said in an usually informed way. "Easy."

He began to play, and actually, he was very good.

"I never knew he could play..." Haruhi whispered.

"From what I saw, it looks like Hina-hime wanted to play piano with you." Tamaki stopped. "So I'm scheduling a week long extreme practice!"

* * *

"Welcome princess." the Hosts greeted Hina in unison as she walked through their doors. Shirou had been practicing to play Schubert's sonata with King all week and this was going to be his big performance for her. Kiiro watched from another unseen corner, taking in the scene.

"Let me introduce today's main show: Takaouji Shirou's piano," Tamaki bowed before Hina. "If you please, princess?" he offered her a seat at one of the two pianos, Shirou smiled at her and they began to play together. The notes prevaded the air beautifully. Kiiro closed her eyes.

She felt something on her hand and looked down to see that Kyouya had entwined his with hers.

"Satou's Gala is next week." he said simply.

Her face bloomed red, 'My hand...', "Ky-Kyouya?"

They smiled at each other.

* * *

Kiiro resurfaced from the deep water. The sound of the waves washed over Kiiro, warm and calm. The sun brightly shone down on her, wrapping her in its heat. The wind smelled familiarly of sea salt with a slight hint of tropical forest floor. She hadn't known she would need her favorite yellow string bikini so soon after leaving California. She laid back, keeping her feet in the water. "It's so much like the real beach." she said, thinking of her old home with its private beach. "Who would ever know this was fake?"

"Exactly, my family strives for authenticity." Kyouya stated from his shaded lounge chair.

She giggled, serenely happy.

Currently, she and the Hosts were on a slight mini-vacation. They were in the Ootori's Secret Membership Pool Resort, which was proving to be a hybrid between waterpark and tropical rainforest.

Haruhi seemed to be the only one not enjoying herself, while this was on everyone else's agenda, she had been taken by surprise, "What does Kyouya's family do for a living anyway? Hospital management? Pool management?" she asked while Tamaki was trying to show her all of the colorful birds in the trees.

"Well, it's management, anyway." Kyouya took a sip from his tropical drink. "Not including other things. But, if I had to think of something in common between them...wouldn't you say they're all recovery-related?"

"Recovery. Refreshing." Kiiro thought, playing in the water. Something occurred to her, "Kyouya?"

"Hm?"

"Are our families competitors?" she asked as she made her way over to the empty seat adjacent to him.

He smirked, "Of course. Did you only just realize that?"

"I guess I just never thought about it." she grinned.

"Ah, well, there's nothing wrong with a little friendly rivalry now and again, right?" his eyes had an odd emotion behind them.

She put on her best haughty air, "I couldn't agree more."

A little ways off on the tile beach Hikaru shouted, "Hey Haruhi, let's go play in the water!"

"But, what about your swimsuit?" Kaoru questioned.

"I don't feel like swimming or changing." Haruhi shrugged.

Hani tried his luck at getting Haruhi to swim, showing off his rabbit inner-tube.

"Hani-senpai can't swim?" she questioned.

"Huh~? No, this way is just a lot cuter~!" he laughed, returning to the current pool with Mori.

"How strange." Kiiro cocked her head.

"Try putting the subject in the sentence?" Kyouya prompted.

'This way is just a lot cuter~!' she thought of Hani saying. 'This way I'm a lot cuter~!' she laughed, "A true host, indeed."

Mori got out of the pool leaving Hani to swim against the current in the cutest way.

Tamaki and the Twins were warring with water guns. Tamaki slipped on a randomly placed banana peel, which sent him crashing into a lever.

The current in the current pool was set to a higher speed, sweeping Hani away with a yelp.

"Mitsukuni!"

"Hani-senpai!"

Mori rushed after him but was caught in a counter current which did no good.

"Mori-senpai and Hani-senpai are getting swept away at top speed!" the Twins cried.

"Kyouya! How do you stop this thing?!" King frantically asked.

"There isn't any way to stop it, the lever is broken."

"Fine then, let's go after Hani-senpai!" Tamaki took off in the direction the senior went.

But, as he tried to follow the pool, a crocodile appeared out of nowhere and almost bit him, then when he tried another way, there were piranha in the pool he almost entered. With a squeal he screamed, "Why the hell are these things here?"

"Run!"

The Hosts and Kiiro ran off in the opposite direction of the hungry crocodiles.

* * *

Once in a safe place in the muggy, overly hot forest, they stopped to catch their breath.

"The crocodile pasture is extremely dangerous...the piranha pond should be fixed again...and there is a problem with the positioning of the lever..." Kyouya scribbled all of thoughts in his handy-dandy notebook.

"W-wait, why would crocodiles n-not be extremely dangerous...and why is there an e-easy-to-reach piranha pond in the first place?" Kiiro questioned him, trying to catch her breath.

"Authenticity." he grinned. "Thanks to you all, I've collected useful data." he stated simply. "You see, the facilities were still at an expirimental stage."

"So we were all test subjects?" Kiiro sighed. "I should have expected as much."

"Kiiro, do you think so little of me as to expect this sort of thing?" he smirked.

"Well, the 'this sort of thing' is happening, so, yes..." she sweat-dropped.

Mori had rejoined them sometime during their fleeing. So at least they knew he was safe.

"Where are on Earth are we?" the Twins asked.

They were now deep into the psuedo-forest, shaded by massive, thick trees.

"It must be the North Gate's Subtropical Zone."

"I hear a suspicious sound." Haruhi pointed out.

"Ah, in that case..." Kyouya said. "It's time for the Squall Experience Service." He walked under the protection of a hut nearby just before it started heavily pouring rain.

"You know, I don't mind the rain," Kiiro began, "but how is a squall related to recovery?" she asked the raven-haired boy.

"Authenticity."

'Really?' she thought.

"Yes."

'Mindreader!'

"Well, men, is everyone all set and ready?" Tamaki asked, hopping into leader mode.

"Yes, sir!" the Twins stood to attention, saluting.

King fanned out a map of the resort. He explained how to get to the two most likely whereabouts of Hani. Though, there were a lot of places left blank on the map, leaving only there imaginations to figure out what was there. Apparently, those places weren't even open yet. "Get it? In every way it's survival!" Tamaki took his usual pose, his hand in a check formation. "We have to make our way safely through this untamed jungle to save Hani-senpai!" he went on. "To ensure efficiency, we should split into two teams, Team Mori-senpai and Team King! The ones who have the courage to follow me onward, please hold onto my finger!" he held his index finger out, waiting for a response.

However, the club had already ventured on leaving his speech forgotten. By this time Mori had fallen into a ditch.

"He must be worried sick." Kiiro stated sadly.

"After all, they are good friends." Haruhi agreed.

The Twins and Kyouya began to explain to them that they were not only good friends but also cousins. "The Morinozuka family has served the Haninozuka family for generations."

"Although the two families were married into each other two generations ago..." Hikaru laced his fingers with Kaoru's.

"...Mori-senpai still stays so close to Hani-senpai." Kaoru touched his cheek to Hikaru's.

"It's the blood that flows through his veins!" Tamaki concluded, getting fired up. "The same blood from past generations!" he proceeded to cry. "What a touching story!"

'And carried away.'

"Mori-senpai, don't worry," Haruhi comforted the frazzled man. "Hani-senpai will be safe. He is usually healthy and, if he gets hungry, there are wild fruits around."

Mori patted Haruhi on the head.

Kyouya's phone went off, "Ah, it's me... No, it's kind of a troublesome situation... Alright then, I am counting on your immediate cooperation." Click! "A search party will be dispatched shortly. It should be better than us trying to find him. We should head to the gate and wait... Huh?"

"What?"

"Mori-senpai and Haruhi are..."

"Gone!" everyone cried.

"How did they disappear so quickly?!" Kiiro looked at where they were only a minute ago.

"Hm..." Kyouya tapped a finger to his lips. "Speaking of which I haven't said a thing about other people." he mused.

Kiiro's eyes widened, "Distracted today?"

* * *

After a few minutes of searching, they heard a ruckus off in the distance. The club had a hard time getting to the scene of the racket, but, once they did get there, they found Hani standing over a bunch of unconscious soldiers. Mori and Hani were behind him.

"Ah! Haruhi are you alright?!" King shouted, running to her.

"Hey~!"

"Hani-senpai?"

"I don't know what happened but it seems like everything's fine." Hikaru said, poking a soldier in the neck.

"How did he...?" Haruhi trailed off.

"You mean you didn't know?" Kaoru asked, surprised.

"The Haninozuka family is renowned for martial arts." the Twins told her.

"During his secondary school days, Hani-senpai participated in the national championship with judo and barehanded fights."

Haruhi went white with shock.

"How can someone so small and cute, be a national martial arts contender?" Kiiro mirrored her shock.

"Takashi, I praise you for protecting Haruhi~," Hani patted his head. "Were you lonely without me~?"

"Not really."

As they made their way out of the resort, Kiiro commented, "Well, at least everything worked out."

"Hm." Kyouya agreed as he passed her, then he stopped, looking at her with that same strange expression as earlier on the chairs, "By the way Kiiro, that's a nice swimsuit you have on. It was certainly...distracting." he teased.

Kiiro's face was heating up again.


	5. A Night at a Gala

Chapter Five: A Night at a Gala

"Fairytale?" Kiiro laid back in her bed, "The theme for this year is Fairytale? And, Masquerade Fairytale at that!" Ideas swirled in her head as to what sort of dress she wanted to make, what sort of mask. "Midsummer Night's Dream-esque?" she got up, leaving her four poster bed, "Moulin Rouge-esque?" she circled the pillow pit in the middle of her room. "Too modern..." she made her way to an adjoining door. "I want something older..." she strutted into her studio. "Something beautiful..." she ran her hands along the fabrics hung up along one of the room, passing over reds and blues and yellows, purples and blues and greens and pinks. "I want something shadowy." she rested her hand on black fabric.

The invite rested on her overstuffed bed, "You are cordially invited to Himiko Satou's Masquerade Fairytale Gala."

Kiiro now stood with the familiar uneasy feeling of anticipation in her stomach, just like every year.

* * *

'Butterflies...'

Her outfit was complete. The dress she had made, she was rather proud of. Sleeveless, strapless, and just past her knees. Black lace met at both ends of it. It had a tight dark gray waist, a ruffled, puffy skirt and ribbon around the chest of it. There was a large brooch in the back that held a wing-like, chiffon cape in place. Which, in turn, connected to her wrists via two wiry cuffs. She wore a sphere of black glass encased in the same silver wire around her neck. She clipped one spiral earring in her ear. Her mask was cat's eye and light gray. Minimal shadowy make up and plain gray flats completed her outfit.

She fussed with her hair for a good ten minutes, when she got a text, "I'm sending my driver now." - KO.

The butterflies in her stomach whirred around again. She didn't know what kind of directions to give her driver, so Kyouya offered to have his sent to her.

'I'm surprised the offer didn't come with a fee.'

The Satou's Gala was actually three celebrations in one place at the same time. Mr. and Mrs. Satou hosted a dance for the adults, Himiko hosted one for the young adults and they had a group of caretakers watch over the children. Though the entire Harper family was invited every year, only Kiiro would be in attendance this time around. Margot and her father were busy in Europe. And her ten-year-old sister and her mother couldn't take the time off to fly out to Japan.

* * *

After she stepped out of Kyouya's family car, thanking the driver, she entered the hall designated for the young adults. She was beginning to believe the masks were one of the better aspects of this year's party. Every year prior it was introduction after introduction after introduction. This year, because of the masks, nobody would have to introduce themselves to her or pretend to like her family or know her. Kiiro sighed a sigh of relief as she stepped through the third-floor ballroom door.

Blee-dal-dee!, her phone chirped.

"I see you." - KO.

'...That's not at all creepy...' she raised her eyebrow.

She scanned the crowd, among all the bright colors resided only a few dark splotches, though it was hard to make anyone one out between the masks and the dim lights.

A hand wrapped around her waist, making her jump. A familiar chuckle reached her ears. She looked to her side, where a tall boy in black stood, "Kyouya!" she greeted with a smile. "You surprised me!" she chuckled, "Wait, how did you know it was me?" she pointed to herself.

"Do you need to be able to see someone's face just to recognize them?" he tapped her chin. "Besides, you're the only person I know of with freckles all year long." he grinned. His suit was entirely black with tails. His shirt, dark gray, his mask, white, along with his gloves.

She stuck her tongue out at him. And turned, heading toward the dance floor. He grabbed her arm, "Kiiro, did you make that dress yourself?" he laced her arm through his.

"Y-yeah."

"You look beautiful."

"Ah?" she stuttered. He had never said that to her, "Th-thank you."

* * *

"Is that...?" one dark green-suited boy began.

"...Kyouya-senpai and Kiiro-senpai?" another finished.

They looked at each other, the evil glint could be seen through their masks.

"This will be...interesting." they said in unison.

* * *

After a few awkward moments, Kiiro fell into step with Kyouya. Soothing piano music played from the speakers. They circled around and through vividly colored couples, so dressed up and dazzling. Large lanterns hung from the ceiling, offering soft light that drifted down on the dancers. Large windows lined one far wall, allowing for a rather romantic view of large fir trees. A low, full moon barely visible behind them. It was a clear, cloudless night, and all the stars could be seen. And just past all that, the bright lights of the city glittered into view.

'Perhaps Fairytale was a fitting theme...' she pondered, watching the marvelously dressed crowd sway in time with the music.

"Penny for your thoughts?" her dance partner asked.

"Ah, um, just a little mystified by things."

He smirked in response.

Step and step and step and-! Kiiro tipped forward, someone had shoved her. Kyouya kept his footing, which kept the two of them from falling. Her head against his chest, for one brief moment she could hear his heartbeat. She quickly straightened up.

"Kiiro, are you okay?" he asked.

'Other than the heat in my face...?' she thought. "Yes. Thank you. But, did someone just push me?" she wondered, looking around in the crowd.

"I believe so."

* * *

"Could you call that accomplished?" Hikaru asked, tilting his head.

"It didn't exactly have the desired effect..." Kaoru crossed his arms.

"But it did maker her blush!" they grinned.

"W could still put plan B into action..."

"But there's no way she would fall for it..."

"Unless..."

"Hikaru? Kaoru? Is that you?"

The two boys halted their plotting to address the young man in a white tuxedo behind them. "I hadn't known you two were here!"

"Quiet, Tono!" they hissed. "We're in the middle of something."

"What something?" Tamaki whispered. He looked out to where the boys were watching. "Is that...? Hey, Kyo-!"

"Shush!" they clamped their hands over his mouth. "He'll hear you!"

"Mhhmmhmhhm!" he protested. They let go of him, "You better not be up to something, shady twins."

"That was close..."

"...too close."

"Why can't I say hello to Kyouya?" he pouted.

"Because..."

"...do you see who's with him?"

Tamaki glanced again in Kyouya's direction, "Is it...Kiiro?"

"Exactly." they stared at him.

"What do you mean?" he raised an eyebrow, wary of any scheming.

They whispered their plan into his ear.

"Hikaru! Kaoru! You shouldn't be tricking people like that!"

"Shh! We're not tricking, we're helping."

"But our first plan didn't work..."

The Twins shared a glance. Then, they turned to Tamaki.

Even he could decode the look in their eyes, "Oh no, I'm not going along with this." he objected.

"But we're only giving them a little... push."

"Think of how nice it would be for them."

"Besides..."

"...we'll be needing..."

"...somebody the same height as Kyouya-senpai."

* * *

'Why do I feel some ominous aura?' Kiiro wondered.

All of the sudden, Kiiro's hair clip unsnapped and her hair fell in front of her face.

"Ah! Well, odd, excuse me for a moment, please?"

"Of course." Kyouya chuckled.

Kiiro receded to the restroom to redo her undone hair.

* * *

Kyouya stood against a wall for a moment, thinking about what he had said to Kiiro earlier, she really did look beautiful tonight. He was drawn from his thoughts when two arms took their place on each of his shoulders.

"Hello..."

"...Kyouya-senpai."

"Hikaru. Kaoru." he greeted the Twins, they had their usual Puck-ish aura about them, amplified by their fairytale garb.

"You should come with us..."

"...only for a moment."

"No, thank you." he shrugged them off. "I'm here with someone."

They frowned. Hikaru looked at Kaoru, then back to his senpai. In one swift moment he reached into Kyouya's breast pocket, taking his phone from him and running.

Kyouya growled, looked toward the restroom doors, and hurried off after the Twins.

* * *

Kiiro looked at her face in the mirror, 'What's with me tonight?' she asked herself. 'Why do I feel so...weird?' she thought to when he called her beautiful. To when she heard his heartbeat. She shrugged it off, stepping out of the restroom. She scanned the room for Kyouya. This time he stood just a few feet before her. Leaning on his side against a decorated pillar, looking rather...urbane. More so than usual.

'What's with that pose?' she smiled as she made her way to him. "Okay, I'm back," she started. "Sorry to keep you...," she trailed off as he lifted the back of her hand to his lips. "...waiting? Kyouya?"

He pressed one gloved finger to his lips, leading her out onto the dance floor.

'What's with him tonight?' Kiiro immediately noticed something was off. Kyouya had never danced with her quite like this. The music was a little faster than before and he flawlessly kept pace with it. He dipped her, spun her, and twirled her. In fact, it was so different than the norm that it had drawn a crowd. She never thought Kyouya would let loose like this in public. She was struggling to keep up. Their dance ended perfectly with the song and one last dip. He stepped back and smiled.

"Wow, what amazing dancers!" the crowd cooed.

"I'm so jealous!"

"That was great!"

'It...was...?'

Kyouya began to walk off and just as Kiiro had decided to follow he rounded a corner.

"Kyouya, wait!"

Just as she turned the corner, he rounded another. When she turned that one he was gone. She stopped, one hall went left, the other right. She turned right.

Blee-dal-dee! her phone rang.

"Cold." -KO.

'What?' Kiiro turned completely around and headed down the other hallway.

Blee-dal-dee!

"Warmer." -KO.

'What is he doing?' she wondered. She continued forward and it continued like this for a short while. Every time she went one way a text would be set to tell her whether she was right or wrong. Finally, at one intersection, she saw one gloved hand beckoning her in the right direction. She followed.

She was led to the balcony, where Kyouya waited.

"Kyouya, finally, what's gotten into you?" she asked with a laugh.

"Oh, hello, Kiiro," he turned to face her. "What do you mean?"

"All the dancing...just know?"

"What? I don't know what you mean, I was out here looking for my phone."

"Then...who was that?"

The moon hung above them, providing plenty of light. The stars shone overtop of the large pine trees beyond the balcony.

* * *

"Does it really matter?" Hikaru patronized quietly.

"Starting the music." Kaoru pressed play on the stereo.

* * *

A slow, instrumental song began to play.

'So...this was a setup?' Kiiro thought.

"It sounds like whoever had stolen you away was a pretty good dancer," Kyouya seemed to want to play along, he bowed holding out his hand. "You know I can't stand to let them to beat me." he smirked as she placed her hand in his.

As they began to dance, Kiiro whispered, "Kyouya, you, um, know this is some scheme we're in, right?"

"Well, yes," he raised an eyebrow, "it's quite obvious, Kiiro." he twirled her. "In fact, the Twins came straight up to me earlier. So they're not even trying to hide it."

"So they're the ones behind this?" she chuckled, "I feel like an idiot for not knowing..." she sighed. "Hold on...who was your impersonator then?"

"You know the Suoh family was invited this year." he clarified for her, ego apparent, "In fact, Himiko Satou is one of Tamaki's regulars, so really it's no surprise..."

"Wait, you mean it was Tamaki?" she went wide eyed. "Oh, of course, how did I not realize?"

"I was about to ask that very same question." his eyes darkened.

"Sorry." she smiled. "Where are they now, though?"

"Hiding in the hallway." he tilted his head in their direction.

"Well, let's put an end to their silly game, then." her smile became a grin.

He dipped her, holding her there, "Kiiro...let's finish this dance at least." he suggested.

"O-okay." she nodded.

He pulled her up, "Besides, I want to show Tamaki how it's done." his grip on her tightened, pulling her closer.

Compared even to Tamaki's dance earlier, he was incredible. The way he led her, quickly shaping his path, quickening his pace, she was having a hard time keeping up. Every turn, twist, and angle calculated to the step and executed without error. She felt his movements come alive. When he dipped her, her chest tightened. When he twirled her, her breath stopped.

Just as the song ended he turned her around so she faced the other direction, opposites hands interlocked. She blushed wildly, her back pressed against his chest. She heard his laugh.

"Satisfied?" he called into the hallway. "Now let's end their silly game." he released her, going on ahead.

"Y-yeah." she stammered following after him.

* * *

Tamaki was so caught up in watching his classmates dance he hadn't thought to remove the wig the Twins had given him, though he had discarded the black tuxedo, "I think you were right." he addressed the Twins. "This was a nice thing. Daddy is proud of you." he gave them a thumbs up.

They turned to him, "Daddy?"

When they looked back out to the back out to the balcony from around their corner, to find no one there, "What? Where'd they go?"

"Where did who go?"

The trio whipped around to see Kyouya standing just behind them, hands in his pockets, "Ah, Tamaki, I see I was correct as to the identity of my impostor." he said darkly.

"O-oh! That?" Tamaki flailed. "That was just-!" he stuttered.

"Tono, why would you..."

"...do something like that?"

"What a wonderful question!" Kiiro appeared behind them. "Why would he play a trick on me?" she clapped her hands together, menace rather equal to Kyouya's though she was smiling. Softly, she continued, "Do you remember what happened last time you two played a trick on me?" she placed a hand on one shoulder each. "And, from what I can gather, Kyouya would like his phone back."

Kaoru shakily removed a sleek, black cell phone from his pocket. When caught in between two black auras, it's best to cooperate.

* * *

"Now, like every year, we will be adopting the American tradition of naming a King and Queen!" Himiko announced toward the end of the night. "It's no surprise, we all saw their dance, this year's Fairytale King and Queen is: Kyouya Ootori and Kiiro Harper!"

"Fairytale King and Queen..."

"...more like..."

"...Shadow King and Queen."

Out of the kindness of their hearts, the Twins had volunteered to assist Kiiro with the cultural matters of the club for the next week and Tamaki had offered to assist Kyouya with club management for the next two.

"You know, the Twins were the masterminds behind this little fiasco," Kiiro mused during one of the last dances. "Tamaki didn't do much at all, really."

"I think I'll have the Twins clean the club room for a week." Kyouya smirked. His mask glinted, just as his glasses normally would, in the light. "Tamaki's punishment is for stealing my date."

"Oh, Kyouya, you had a date?" Kiiro said in an exaggerated tone.

"Of course, I never have much triuble finding one." he said arrogantly.

"Oh, and, who was she?" she raised an eyebrow, jokingly.

Again, he dipped her, holding her there, "You of course." this time his voice was nonchalant.

Kiiro couldn't help but notice how close their lips were this time.

They straightened, "And, I would like to know whether or not I am the better dancer."

"Hm..." she feigned hesitation. "I would say you, but I would need more convincing."

"Is that just a ploy to get me to continue to dance with you?" he smirked.

"Yes." she admitted.

"Good." he wore his dark grin.

Kiiro giggled.


	6. Oceans and Zukas

Chapter Six: Oceans and Zukas!

"C'mon, Kiiro-senpai, come with us." the two dark, gleaming grins said in unison.

"I'm not going anywhere," she replied, crossing her arms. "Your uni-voice is all too creepy."

"We're just going..."

"...to the ocean..."

"We know how you miss the ocean." Unison.

It was true, it was one of the few things Kiiro missed about California. But, that didn't mean she could just go with them without a second thought.

"No, boys, I can't, I..."

"You don't have an excuse not to go." Kyouya said from behind her seat. "So, you'll come along with us." he said simply, looking up from his notebook.

"Kyouya, I..." she turned to face him, trying to protest but, "...fine. When are we going?"

The Twins were now focused on trying to make King angry. They were explaining why, of all their mother's swimsuit designs, they choose a ruffled top look to hide her flat chest. Their provocation worked, causing Tamaki to resort to hitting them "out of the park" with a baseball bat, "Stop sexually harassing my daughter you bastards!" he screamed.

"Is it my fate to be saddled with three kids at only seventeen?" Kyouya sighed.

"Well, you are "Mommy"." Kiiro pointed out with a chuckle.

"Aunty! Hikaru and Kaoru are saying nasty things about their little sister! Make them behave!" Tamaki whined.

"And, apparently, you are "Aunty"." Kyouya returned.

"At least mine corresponds to my gender." she crossed her arms.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Good."

Kiiro dodged the glint off his glasses, turning her attention back to the conversation.

"Does that mean we're not going to the ocean?" the Twins continued, hiding behind a table.

"Who said we're not going?" King said with a smirk, head held high.

"It's settled then."

"Can I bring Usa-chan, too?~"

"..."

"I have no objections."

"Do I really have a choice?" Kiiro shrugged.

"Wait a minute...really?" Haruhi distressed.

"Then right now!"

'Let's go to the beach!'

* * *

This was a thousand times better than the Ootori Resort. Mostly because Kiiro knew this was all real. The salt in the air, the taste and the smell. The warm water on her skin. The sun on her stomach. She basked in the light, completely happy.

'Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.' she smiled. 'Though, this place still has an odd aura about it.'

"Thanks for making me come here, Kyouya." she whispered to herself.

"Anytime." he replied from approximately three yards away.

'How?' she sunk down into the waves.

Once she had spent enough time in the ocean, Kiiro made her way back to the shore, where she found a beach chair near the group and decided to relax in the sun.

"Are you tanning, Kiiro?" Kyouya asked.

She peaked one eye open, "I couldn't if I tried." she shrugged. "Which reminds me." she withdrew a bottle of sun block from her bag. "If I don't reapply this every so often I'll burn to a crisp."

"SPF 100?" he read.

"The strongest I could get on short notice." she lathered it on her arms.

After a moment of silence, watching her apply the lotion, he asked, "Do you want any help?"

She reddened, "N-no, thank you, I can do it."

He smirked, "As you wish."

"Everyone having fun?" an eery voice asked.

Kiiro and Tamaki jumped.

'Why does that keep happening?'

Nekozawa appeared from nowhere, carrying a parasol to shield himself from the light, in addition to his normal cloak.

"Why does it have to be Nekozawa-senpai's private beach?" the Twins whined.

'Which would explain the aura...'

"K-Kyouya! I told you I wanted to borrow your private beach!" Tamaki cried, trying to duck away from Nekozawa unsuccessfully.

"It was a sudden change of plans. Besides, Haruhi wanted to go somewhere close by domestically," Kyouya explained. "Would anyone else be able to provide a suitable location as such?"

"I see you were looking at Cat Rock." the senior went on, unaware of his lower classman's terror. "It's where each generation of the Nekozawa family provide offerings for our guardian deity," Umehito gestured to the cat-shaped rock at the end of the beach, with his cat-gloved hand. "There's a legend that says if you jump off into the sea from there you'll never come back up. Look, there's a brave challenger now."

'Is that...?' Kiiro squinted.

"HARUHI!"

Haruhi sat in the "mouth" of the "cat" looking down. Tamaki, Hikaru and Kaoru quickly moved her.

"I tried to make a more artistic atmosphere for everybody's enjoyment." Nekozawa continued happily. "It would be an honor if it's to your liking. Especially since I've always wanted to establish a closer friendship with Tamaki-kun..." his exposed eye glinted.

Tamaki went white with sheer fear.

The "artistic atmosphere" was created by skulls, bones, and swords scattered in the sand. The place looked like a battlefield.

"Artistic?" Kiiro shivered. "It's too macabre."

* * *

All the Hosts had brought along their clients who were also having fun on the beach. The Hosts did what they normally did, well, other than collect shellfish. They capitalized on the beautiful sea's atmosphere.

While collecting shellfish, one of the customers screamed, throwing a crab back to the sand. A centipede crawled out of its shell. In a flash, Haruhi ran up, picked out the bug and threw it far away.

The clients squealed at how "manly" Haruhi was, while the Hosts marveled at who fearless she was.

This incident prompted the beginning of the, "Who Can Find Haruhi's Weakness" Game.

It's played like this: 1. Find Haruhi's Weakness.

2. Get Assorted Pictures of Haruhi in her Middle School Days. (Courtesy of Kyouya Ootori.)

'Do I even want to know?' Kiiro chuckled.

The Twins tried dragging Haruhi into Cat Rock Cave, scaring her with makeshift ghosts. Nothing. Mori and Hani took her and some guests up to a high cliff overlooking the beach. Nothing. Nyctophobia, Aichmophobia, and Claustrophobia, all with no result. So far, there was no winner.

Suddenly, there was a scream and then a yell coming from Cat Rock. Everyone looked up to see three men trying to mess around with some of the clients. Haruhi was trying to stop them.

'Oh no!'

Tamaki and the Twins immediately jumped into action, on their way to help her, when one of the men picked her up by her shirt collar, dangling her over the edge of the rock face, before letting her fall to the waves below.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki pushed the man aside, and, without a second thought, jumped in after her.

The Twins "talked to" the men, while Kyouya took their ID cards and asked them to leave.

Tamaki and Haruhi resurfaced in mere moments, he carried her to shore. He told Kyouya and the Twins to send the clients back to their hotel. Hani was going to get a doctor but Haruhi had refused.

Everyone was quiet, trying to ascertain her condition. During all of the commotion, the sun had started to set.

"Haruhi? You... Are you a martial arts expert like Hani-senpai or won any diving competitions?" Tamaki asked, almost coldly, as he handed her to Mori.

"Huh? No..."

"Then what? We were right there and you didn't even call to us!" he continued. "Trying to face three men by yourself? You're a girl. How can you be so foolhardy?!"

Haruhi frowned, "So what does it matter if they were boys and I'm a girl." she answered. "When you encounter such a situation, you don't have the luxury to think about these things!"

Tamaki tensed, "Still think about it! Stupid!"

"I apologize for any trouble I caused, but I don't see why I need to get scolded for something more than that!" she yelled back. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Oh yeah? Then do whatever you want! I'm never speaking to you until you realize your mistake!" Tamaki walked off.

But then he tried to turn back.

"Looks like he wants to talk to her again. Haruhi, why don't you just apologize to him?"

"No..."

* * *

What had once been a bright, shining day, was now a dark, stormy night. And, being in the Nekozawa vacation home didn't help to disband the creeping feeling of darkness. Even the board game they were playing was lending to the atmosphere.

"Twelve years later company goes bankrupt and is forced to become a janitor at a department store." Kyouya raised an eyebrow. "It's not even funny."

"Two...One..." Kiiro advanced her game piece, drawing a card she wilted, "Seven years later has an unusual anxiety attack which leads to permanent shortness of breath?" she questioned her card. "Aw..."

"Currently earned hatred from friend and is massively depressed." the Twins said of Tamaki, who was sitting in his corner of woe, sulking. They proceeded to kick him while he was down, reiterating a fantasy of his from earlier that day, involving a white dress and shoreline walks.

"It seems Tamaki-kun likes white dresses." Umehito snuck up on him.

This time, not only did Kiiro jump at Nekozawa's sudden appearance, but also at Tamaki's blood-curdling scream. She was extra paranoid in this overly dark, possibly haunted manor.

"What the hell is up with this haunted mansion?!" Tamaki squealed, seconding Kiiro's thoughts. "And what the hell is up with this subtly unpleasant life game with all the oddly realistic predictions?!"

"It would be rude to refuse such a rare invitation, don't you think so?" Kyouya pushed up his glasses. "But honestly, it's really burdensome that it's all free..."

"I'm sure it is." Kiiro countered, earning his glare.

"Well thanks to you I'm going nuts over here because I keep getting the feeling that somebody's watching me!" Tamaki flailed. "How can I hope to play "Rich Man/Poor Man Contest with Haruhi" in this kind of house that doesn't even have electricity?!"

"You're in a cold war with her right now anyways. Besides, something like a card game would be cancelled if you weren't."

Tamaki returned to his corner.

"Staying with candlelight alone is highly beneficial to the stability of your soul..." Umehito began. "After cleansing the filthiness of the bright day, a human can find their true selves in the darkness. I predict that tonight, you will experience a very splendid-" the rest was cut off due to Nekozawa's scream as the lights came back on, he sprinted out of the room.

"The main breaker was thrown. It's in the basement, so I turned it back on." Hauhi walked into the room wearing an uncharacteristically girly dress. With pink and frills.

"Haruhi...those clothes..." Hikaru was at a loss for words.

"Yeah, I think my Dad repacked my bags. He always wants me to wear this kind of thing." she smoothed the front of the dress.

'Sounds like someone else I know.'

"Go Haruhi's Dad!"

"Haru-chan, kawaii~." Hani.

"Are your wounds okay?" Kyouya.

"Yeah, how do you feel?" Kiiro.

"But, anyways, what's up with the bare feet?" Hikaru.

"We should do something about the hair, too." Kaoru.

The Twins then went on to slipper her feet and comb her hair.

And Tamaki got a nosebleed.

"Pervert! Maniac!" the Twins dragged Haruhi away from him. "What kind of human?"

He blushed, "Who's gonna get a nosebleed looking at a stubborn brat like her?" he crossed his arms. "I just bumped my nose a little..."

Hani karate chopped him in the back of the neck.

Which, contrary to Hani's belief, did not make the nosebleed stop.

'Why would it?'

"That's a prime example of mistaken aid. Karate-style no less..."

* * *

The Hosts, and Kiiro, were seated at the dining table in the creepy mansion. On the table was the shellfish they had collected earlier.

"Where's Nekozawa-senpai?" Kaoru asked.

"He said he received a shock that rivaled being struck by lightning, so he's resting."

'Just like his card!'

"Haru-chan~! Try some ootoro~!"

Though it was already dinner time, the "cold war" raged on. Leaving everyone feeling a bit icy. King ate all the ootoro, Haruhi gave him empty crab shells and tried to stab his hand with her fork.

"Hey, you! Who are you, the Twins or something?!" he cried.

"Didn't you say you weren't going to talk to me anymore?" Haruhi asked, annoyed. "And, besides, you're gonna burst my eardrums..."

"It seems like you have no intentions of apologizing..." he huffed. "Fine, then, I'm going to bed. Haruhi! You go to bed, too!"

The butler came out to show Tamaki where his room was.

But only Kyouya left with him.

"I should have learned karate or something..." Haruhi murmured.

"So, that's where this is heading?"

"It's cool to be fearless and have a strong sense of justice but..."

"...even we think you should apologize for reckless behavior like today." the Twins confessed.

"But, I didn't cause any harm to you guys," Haruhi said. "I don't understand why senpai is getting so angry like that... But, if it was because I was weak, I'm sorry for that..." she looked down toward the floor.

"That's not it, Haru-chan..." Hani clarified. "Apologize to everybody, lots and lots to Tama-chan, too. Apologize to everyone for causing such a worry."

"Worry?" something clicked in her mind. "Everyone was worried? ...I'm sorry..."

Everyone hugged her. And then Mori had to run out with her because she was going to throw up. And then, Umehito came out of no where without a wig or cloak on.

"What's wrong? Even Beelzeneff was surprised." he said after he put on said wig and cloak.

* * *

After all of the pressure of the day, Kiiro decided to turn in to her room for some sleep. It was still storming outside, but the storm inside had subsided. Tamaki and Haruhi were no longer warring, though finding Tamaki putting earplugs and a blindfold on Haruhi had been really unexpected and weird.

As she was walking toward her room, she and Kyouya crossed paths, "Goodnight, Kiiro."

"Goodnight, Kyo-"

The mansion went dark.

"Well, looks like the powers out again..."

"..."

"Kiiro?"

"A-ah, j-just um..." she whimpered. "A little bit nyctophobic..." she whispered.

"Fear of the dark?"

"..."

"Don't be afraid. There's nothing here." he walked back to find her.

She felt his arm snake around her waist and jumped.

"It's just me."

"So-sorry..."

"It's fine." he assured her. "I'm not so cruel as to refuse you help when you need it."

"Th-thank you, Kyouya." she stuttered.

For as long as she could remember she had been plagued by her fear of the dark. When she was little in California even they had suffered rolling black outs. She also had trouble staying asleep, causing her to wake up often in the middle of the night, in the pitch black. She couldn't even move because of it back then. To this day she used a night light.

They found her room, venturing into it. She was about to thank Kyouya again for helping her and to bid him goodnight when she heard the door click shut behind them.

"K-Kyouya?"

"Answer me honestly, Kiiro, would you be able to sleep alone in the dark tonight?" he asked. "Knowing no one is awake to go switch the breaker?"

She hesitated, "Well I..."

She could just make out him patting the bed next to him.

"Would it really be so bad to share a bed with me?" his arrogance flaired.

"Well..." she was thankful he couldn't see her blush in the dark.

"I promise not to take advantage of you, Kiiro." he took hold of her hand, presenting his pinky.

"I know you wouldn't." she locked pinkies with him.

"And I'll be gone before anyone else wakes up." he assured her.

"Well, maybe just this time won't be so bad..."

They got settled into bed and, oddly, she found herself comfortable. She and Kyouya slept on either end of the spacious bed. And she only woke up once in the night, when she thought she felt Kyouya's arm on her side, his chest to her back.

And, true to his word, when the sun came up, he was gone.

Leaving her to wonder if what she thought she felt last night was a dream.

* * *

When the doors were opened, it was a room full of knights in shining armor.

Kiiro smiled, 'I hope they're able to move under all that metal.'

She and Kyouya had been working on this presentation for a while now, seeing as how this week Ouran was hosting a cultural festival. Students from all sorts of other schools were invited to perform plays and concerts. Which, potentially, meant a lot of new guests.

Their regular guests were cooing over how fabulous and strong the boys looked in their intricately crafted plate armor and heroic capes or period-style nobility wear in the case of the Twins. Haruhi was currently out buying more commoner's coffee at the request of the Twins.

"Ah, princess," Knight Tamaki fawned, "even if the world ended this minute, I want to be the man who would sacrifice his own life to save you..."

"Is that so?" one of two new guests began. "Are you under the impression that the woman left behind would be happy with just those words?" she placed a slender hand on her chin.

"There's nothing you can do about it, Silver Bell onee-sama," the other continued. "Men are lower life forms who place honor above all else." she huffed, holding her head high. "Pretending to be gallant by repackaging it in those sweet words hides their own ineptitude of not being able to preserve even his own life." she explicated.

"Oh my, Daisy. You are just too intelligent." the elder girl complimented the younger. They chatted in the waiting area beside where Tamaki was entertaining his guests.

By this time, Kiiro, intrigued, had found a seat nearer to where the two disagreeing girls nested, not wanting to miss the situation that she could sense was about to unfold.

"You're very acrimonious individuals, I see." Tamaki approached them, soft smile not faltering in the wake of their bitterness, he bowed, "What type of words would you prefer?"

"Yes, if it were me..." a third girl entered the room. "I would never leave her alone."

The third wore a man's uniform, and had the shortest hair of the three newcomers. Haruhi was by her side, looking far more confused than anyone else.

"If you're going to fight, then fight together," she continued, with a gallantry that nearly rivaled Tamaki's. "If you can't accomplish it, then you should end your life together." she knelt before Haruhi, taking her hand in hers, kissing it. "I vow that I shall never leave your side until the day my life ends."

This declaration caused mass panic in Music Room Three, "What the-?!"

Tamaki's jaw dropped and he began to point frantically, the color drained from his face.

"Rose-sama you're too much..." the other girls got up from their sofa, joining the woman in man's clothing. "Why were you so late?"

"You're incorrigible..." the long-haired girl smiled. "Where in the world did you find this lovely person?" the girls surrounded Haruhi.

"Aah... Right in front of the school, by pure luck," the third answered. "Even though she was disguised as a boy, I could tell with one glance. Look at the clear, womanly eyes."

The girls grinned, admiring the extremely uncomfortable looking Haruhi, "Really she is a diamond in the rough!"

"Look at this skin! So clear!"

Tamaki sprung to the rescue, "Wait, you're mistaken! I swear this kid is a boy!" he reached for Haruhi.

"What are you touching barbarian?!" the girl they called Rose-sama shielded her, hitting Tamaki as he attempted to grab for Haruhi.

He backpedaled, holding a hand to his abused chin, as the rest of the club members surrounded him, holding him back, "You dare hit me?! Try that again you violent bastard!" he flailed, "Who are you anyway? You're not from Ouran, are you?!"

The violent woman laughed, "That's right..."

There was a shuffle of clothes as the three discarded their disguises.

'Uh, what?' Kiiro was getting a little lost in the drama.

They posed in different uniforms, long red skirts and flowing, white shirts with matching red trim and long, cream bows at their chests.

"St. Lobelia academy, second year, Benio Amakusa!" the third announced.

"Same school, second year, Chizuru Maihara." the first.

"Same school, first year, Hinako Tsuwabuki." the second.

"St. Lobelia Girl's Academy's, "White Lily Group"," Benio held out her hand, "A.K.A The Zuka Club."

There was a pause filled with shocked silence, in which Haruhi retreated to a safe distance.

'Ah, yes, _another_ flamboyant club.' Kiiro chuckled.

The Twins's loud laughter filled the room.

'It is rather laughable.' Kiiro chuckled.

The Twins were inconsolable, they held their sides and tears slid down their faces.

"A woman's beauty. That is the internal beauty and power." Chizuru started, clasping her hands before her face. "A pure soul that doesn't lose to physical desires."

""Because you're a woman." "You're only a woman." I am sick and tired of man's coercive degradation of women." Hinako went on.

"We are proud... Because our souls have an equal relationship made possible by being the same sex in the same environment. Even when..." Benio pulled the other two. "...it's a romantic relationship."

"Please go away." the Twins ordered, tired of laughing, having turned their attention to a video game.

By this time the boys had changed into their normal clothes and all of the clients had left.

"My, my, you must be at a loss for words at our sublime love." Hinako smiled.

"Aw, how unfortunate." Chizuru laughed. "It seems they don't know what to do since their specialty host techniques don't work on us."

"I'm rather certain they don't care." Kiiro stated in explanation.

"Hm?" Chizuru turned to her, her eyes lit up. "Ah, what a lovely lady." she approached her. "You stayed behind? Could it be that you are under the cruel spell of these wicked men as well?" she placed a hand on her face, caressing her cheek.

"Ah-um..." Kiiro reddened, awkwardly backing away from her contact.

Chizuru smiled, "Don't be so shy, maiden. You have such beautiful eyes. Why hide them behind these glasses?" she reached to remove Kiiro's glasses.

"Because she needs them to see..." Kyouya placed a hand on Kiiro's shoulder, he grinned at Chizuru, who crossed her arms and called him rude, before tugging Kiiro to the other corner of the room.

"Thank you." she chirped.

"I don't know if it's because the club president is a halfer..." Benio murmured. "Using good looks to pile false love to mock a pure girl's heart. That right there is degradation of women." she accused. "It's not enough that you must appease your greed while using this club as a front! But, to lure in these pure female students, you guys are beyond despicable!" she pointed at the hosts. "I swear! I will immediately shut down garbage like this Host Club!"

"I get it now..." Kyouya intoned. "But since the club president is now lying down due to the culture shock, would you mind coming back next time? Yes?" he stood next to the sofa, gesturing to where Tamaki lie, sleeping.

"Tama-chan went nighty nighty~!"

"Kids need sleep to grow up."

"Drag him up right now!" Benio demanded.

"Uhm..." Haruhi returned to the group carrying a tray of hot coffee cups. "I made some coffee. You want some?" she asked them.

"Thank you, how can you be so sweet?"

"You're a rose in a trash can."

"Why don't us women have a cozy little tea party?"

The Zuka Club fawned.

That woke Tamaki up. He ran over to them, yanking Haruhi away.

"You guys are under the wrong impression about something! What kind of productivity is there when women make love to each other? Then, why did god create Adam and Eve?"

Hinako nonchalantly poured hot coffee on his hand.

"Waaa!" he cried, blowing on his scalded hand while Mori ran off to fetch cold water.

"As long as I know the situation here, I can't leave these kids somewhere like here!" Benio declared. "Start processing as transfers as transfers to Lobelia this instant! I'm taking these girls into the Zuka Club!"

'Don't I get a say in this?'

Haruhi looked just as astounded, "Wait, wait a minute! I think you're misunderstanding something here. Like how the history of this club is short."

"No, it's true that it's short. It's only the second year since the founding." Hikaru corrected.

"The president created it when he came up to High School." Kaoru stated.

"I never even hear rumors about Tamaki-senpai being a half-blood," Haruhi continued unphased.

"But Tamaki is a half-blood~. He is half French and half Japanese~." Hani interjected.

"And you mentioned being greedy, but it's not like we're receiving any payments from the clients." Haruhi added a little defeated.

"It's a points system," Kyouya opposed, checking his laptop. "We make preferential accommodations based on the purchase price at the club's internet auctions. Oh yeah, look at this Haruhi. The winning bid for the mechanical pencil you threw away was thirty-thousand yen. Nice, huh?"

"I thought I lost that!"

"I never knew any of this before! No one ever told me we received money this way!"

"Didn't think that we go through all this just for community service, did you? Event expenses, plus costume expenses, plus the client's food, etc," Kyouya explained. "There's not even that much profit, 99% expense."

"That doesn't give you the right to steal someone else's things and sell them! Thief!"

"We didn't steal them it was dropped." The twins stated.

Haruhi glared at them as they tried their best to look nonchalant.

"I'm so sorry, Haruhi! It wasn't hidden intentionally!" Tamaki bawled. "Here! I'll give you my mechanical pencil!"

"I don't need it, not anymore."

"If you feel bad about it, I'll even reveal the secrets to my birth! And my seventeen years of heart-breaking memories!"

'That's odd.'

"No, among all the things that I learned for the first time today, that's probably the best thing I've heard," Haruhi said, annoyed. "It's only that, since you're so obsessive over Japanese culture, it never occurred to me that you were a half-blood."

"Poor girl... It's a shock that you've been fooled all this time, right?"

"Get rid of these punks now and come join us."

"Aaah, let's wait a little, Daisy. Since Haruhi received such a jolt today." The Lobelia girls crowded.

"Our invitation also stands for you, Miss." Chizuru kissed the back of Kiiro's hand.

She awkwardly smiled in response.

"We'll come back tomorrow. We'll be expecting good news." They exited.

"I'll call it a day here, too." Haruhi left, an evil look in her eye.

"How can you just tell her the truth? Now it's like pouring oil into the fire!" Kaoru screeched.

"The truth is the truth, no reason to hide it." Kyouya reasoned.

"I think selling the mechanical pencil was the last straw for her..." Hani had big tears in his eyes.

"It might have been an heirloom from her mother..."

"No, there was some store's ad clearly printed on it."

"I don't think I've ever seen a look as scary as that." Kiiro put a hand to her lips.

"Are you sure, Kiiro-senpai?" the Twins said flatly, recalling when they got in trouble at the Satou's Gala not too long ago.

"C'mon guys... think about it," Tamaki wandered over to the window. "Even if you take into account Haruhi's blunt personality, she does have a tendency to prefer men's clothes. Furthermore, she even said this before, "It doesn't feel that bad when all the girls are fluttering around me." That, "I think I might after all have some skills in that area." How could I have not realized it until now. Perhaps for her, instead of the Host Club wouldn't the Zuka Club be more suitable?" he hid his face.

The fact hit them like a bolt of lightning.

"Haruhi's gonna transfer?" Hani cried.

"And with Haruhi's brains, she would have absolutely no problems passing Lobelia's scholarship test." The Twins fretted.

"And, if it was Lobelia, they would pay off her eight million yen debt." Kyouya stated.

"Everyone calm down just listen to me!" King ordered, he struck an "action pose". "I have an idea! Kiiro!"

"Yes, sir?" she chirped.

* * *

'This is... ridiculous!' Kiiro tried to keep from laughing out loud.

When the doors were opened, there was a scene that would make even the Zuka Club's hearts flutter.

"Welcome."

The three Zukas and Haruhi went straight-faced.

Awaiting them in the Music Room, the hosts dressed in fancy suits with n abundance of feathers and extravagant tassels and frills. With the exception of the Twins and Hani, who boasted large curly wigs, and puffy dresses outfitted with bows and ribbons.

"Oh, Haruhi, come in, come in." The Twins said in high-pitched voices.

Kiiro tried not to laugh.

"Haru-chan, Haru-chan, look I'm a princess~! How do I look~?" Hani fluttered.

Kiiro stifled her chuckle.

"What the hell is this, are you insulting our culture?" Benio accused.

"Insult, no way," Tamaki corrected he stood, arms open. "This is all according to my calculations. A secret life-and-death recipe that, for commoners, would even make a crying baby stop crying. The strategy of... Two Birds with One Stone! Ladies who grew up in the greenhouse of Lobelia might have a difficult time comprehending this, but commoners are always weak at "free extras"." Tamaki pointed out. "Admittedly, Haruhi can feel an attraction to the Zuka Club, MAIS! but, if you choose our club, in addition to niichans, neechans are included as a free extra. Along with the Host Club, you can taste the atmosphere."

"Haruhi, Haruhi, look at this isn't it pretty? Haruhi?" Tamaki assaulted her with his feather mantle. Haruhi fell down. "You damn tail feathers!"

"Haruhi, how is it?" Hikaru asked.

"Who's prettier, your dad or us? Please tell us." Kaoru asked.

Kiiro clamped her mouth shut.

"You can call me neechan...~" Hani said sweetly.

Kiiro bit her lip.

"You think Haruhi will fall for that kind of trick?" Benio asked. "Even immaturity has..."

Haruhi started laughing, "I did keep thinking to myself, stupid... stupid but... This... this is the limit. Just what are you doing?"

"Is that funny?" The neechans asked.

Kiiro gave in. She started laughing with Haruhi.

"Haruhi..."

"I'm sorry. There are a kinds of people in the world, and I think that your attitude in life is unique and interesting, but..." Haruhi told Benio. "There is a dream that I want to accomplish... That's why I enrolled here in Ouran. So, ever since the beginning, I never had any thoughts of quitting here."

Everyone was overjoyed.

"Then, what about you, Miss?" Chizuru asked.

"Well, I couldn't bear to leave these guys, sorry."

"I see, Benio..."

"Yeah, I know... I will not give up Haruhi. I swear! Without fail, I will save you and destroy this Host Club garbage!" They made their showy exit.

"I guess all this effort was for nothing Kiiro-senpai." the Twins huffed.

"Yeah, it was fun dressing you two in drag, though."

They stuck their tongues out at her.

"I'm so glad you didn't leave~!" Hani said.

"Me, too." Kiiro smiled down at him.

"We all knew you wouldn't~."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, because Kyo-chan's here~. And Kir-chan wouldn't leave him here~."

Kiiro blushed, "No, I suppose I wouldn't."

Hani chuckled.


	7. House Call

Chapter Seven: House Call

"Kiiro, wake up." a voice interrupted her sweet dreams of days spent in the ocean.

"No...too early..." Kiiro turned away from the voice, shoving her head into one of her many red pillows.

"It's almost noon."

"...too early." she burrowed into the blankets. "It's Sunday..."

Said blankets were yanked off of her, she heard them hit the floor.

She groaned and sat up, in the world separate from her plush, four poster bed, framed by the burgundy silk curtains, stood Kyouya in normal clothes, a black jacket and pants. He raised an eyebrow, presumably at her unicorn pajama pants.

She stretched over to her bedside table, where her glasses waited for her. She looked back, now with clear vision, making sure she wasn't seeing things, "Kyouya...?"

"Yes?" he crossed his arms.

"Who let you in my room?"

"Your father gave your staff the instruction to let me in whenever I happen to wander here." he explained with a smile.

"What do you mean 'whenever'?" she hopped off her bed.

"I believe he expects me to check in on you."

"Ah!" she huffed. "More importantly, why are you here now?"

"I'll tell you when we get in the car." he shrugged.

"Car?" she tilted her head.

"Yes. Now, hurry up and get ready." he smirked, making his way to her door. "Oh, and by the way, nice pajama pants."

Kiiro frowned, very much embarrassed.

* * *

She dressed in a pink houndstooth skirt with black tights and pink pumps. She wore a gray t-shirt with a glittery pink heart on the front, beneath a knee-length charcoal jacket. She was able to apply minimal pink make up before she was rushed into Kyouya's car.

"So that's what you dress like outside of school." Kyouya appraised her. "Not bad."

"Same to you." she grinned. "So," she buckled in. "...where are we going?"

"Haruhi's house." he replied simply.

Kiiro's grin widened, "Really? I have to admit I'm a bit excited." she began to wonder what it would look like. She had never been inside a commoner's home before. "Wait...why?" she turned to him.

"Because Tamaki _and _the Twins are going." he crossed one leg over the other. "And they're more excited than you seem to be. And their excitement can be disastrous." he smirked. "I can try to keep Tamaki calm but, I'll have my hands full with that. I'm enlisting your help with the Twins."

"Oh." she nodded. "And why should I help you, Kyouya?"

"Because you owe me." he shrugged.

"I owe you?" she knitted her brow. "For what, exactly?"

He leaned in closer, "For that night at the beach."

Her face reddened, thinking back.

"Unless you'd like to pay me back some other way?" he blew on her ear.

She shivered, "N-no! This way's good."

"Good."

She glared at him, which only earned his smirk.

* * *

"Oh, we're here."

She stepped out of the car, "Hi~! Kir-chan~!" Hani greeted.

"Hello, Hani-senpai, Mori-senpai, Tamaki and Twins."

They all stood in front of a small apartment complex.

"So this is where Haruhi lives?" Kaoru questioned.

"It's pretty big." Hikaru added.

"There's a lot of doors~! Maybe there's lots of rooms~!" Hani threw his hands up.

"No, this is called congregated housing for commoners," Kyouya corrected. "Each family gets a few square meters...at the most..."

"Kyouya..." Tamaki practically growled, removing his sunglasses. "What the hell is this? All these people? Especially those doppelgangers! I called _you _not those-!"

"Oh yeah?" Kyouya shrugged. "Since it seemed you didn't have the guts to come here by yourself, I thought the more people you had the better it would..." he stopped, taking the Twins by the shoulders, pushing them away. "I see... Let's leave now kids..."

"No way, Kyouya-senpai!" they fussed, squirming.

"Ah!" Tamaki pulled them back. "I'm sorry, please forgive me!" he apologized quickly. "Ugh, can't cry over spilt milk, in exchange you guys must remember! This is a "just dropped in coincidentally while passing by" type of spontaneous visit!" he pointed at the lot of them. "This is definitely not for researching the Fujioka family's living standards! Furthermore, this timespan is also when Haruhi's rumored-to-be-gay father will be home as well. Words like "miserable looking", "looks teeny", "poverty struck", or any others are strictly forbidden!" he frowned. "Especially you Twins over there. By any chance, linguistic behavior that makes Haruhi or her dad think, "I wish they'd go back home." is-!"

"Go home right now!" yelled a familiar voice from behind Tamaki.

They group looked behind their King, to see Haruhi in a cute dress, holding a bag of groceries. Standing behind her was a group of strangers. They had unknowingly drawn a crowd.

"Your plain appearance rules!" the Twins thumbsed up.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki jumped.

"Get lost." she ordered darkly. "Fuck off."

"Ack! Haruhi is saying really bad words!" Tamaki wailed. "This is entirely your fault!" he accused of the Twins.

A middle-aged woman came up to Haruhi and whispered something in her ear.

Tamaki greeted her immediately afterward, "Lovely to meet you at last, Madam. My name is Tamaki and I am a close friend of Haruhi's." he grinned.

"Oh my lord!" she exclaimed, blushing, already won over by his trademarked charm.

'So much for reeling in Tamaki...' Kiiro thought, glancing at Kyouya.

"Is Haruhi's place number 203?"

Kiiro followed the group upstairs.

"Wait! Where are you going without permission?!" Haruhi shouted, running after them. "I'm telling you this ahead of time. You're only going to take a look for a moment. Take a look, then hurry up and go." she pushed through them and unlocked her door.

"Haruh-chan~! Cake present~!" Hani held up a box. "They're strawberry and chocolate~!" he grinned.

Haruhi looked down at him, Kiiro could see her resolve diminishing, she turned her head, "Then just eat that and go home, please, if it's only for tea."

'He planned that.' Kiiro grinned, thankful that they would be able to see Haruhi's apartment.

She opened the door to a cozy, little, normal apartment.

"Looks poverty struck." Hikaru stated first and foremost. Tamaki pulled at his face.

"Hikaru..."

"There are two rooms, well, if it's for a commoner dad and daughter, I guess..."

"Right if it's for Haruhi's size..."

"Well, I think it looks nice." Kiiro smiled.

"It's a very cute room right~?"

"You don't have to go out of your way to praise it..." Haruhi said flatly.

"Haruhi, do we have to take our shoes off~?"

"Yes, please."

Kiiro removed her pink pumps.

Haruhi frantically started rummaging around. She laid out six pairs of slippers and one pair of straw boots. Tamaki was crying as he put the boots on.

'No doubt fantasizing about Haruhi being an indentured servant.'

"I'm telling you now, that's only something my Dad's client bought as a present while on a trip." Haruhi clarified.

The club made their way into Haruhi's living room, after taking the slippers off, 'That was useless.' Hikaru bumped his head on the doorway, Mori, learning from the twin's mistake, bent forward about two feet to fit, 'He's too tall for this place.'

Everyone did some exploring of their own, looking through the shelves, the closets, the bookshelves, except for Kiiro, who more or less followed Haruhi around as she scolded them for being rude.

'My job done for me.' she smiled.

The Twins found their way into one of her closets, "Haruhi, there's a bunch of girly clothes in here, is this your Dad's hobby?"

"Boys, try not to be so rude." Kiiro half-heartedly said.

"What're you guys doing without permission?" Tamaki yelled. But then he picked up some of the clothes and told Haruhi what he thought of them.

"Haru-chan~! Haru-chan~! Sorry, can I use your bathroom~?" Hani held up his hand as if he were in school.

"Sure, go ahead, it's this way."

"Excuse me~!" Hani hopped off toward the water closet. "Uwaa! Teeny! Scary!" he ran out to where Mori was.

Tamaki then proceeded to show everyone how to sit at the table, "If you sit with your knees to your chest, it takes up less room." he said proudly.

'He warns everyone not to be rude and he goes doing things like this.'

"Oy, Haruhi," Kaoru waved his hand. "We brought some of the tea that our Dad bought while in Africa, if you want to make some."

"Here, take it." they offered.

"Ah, thank you."

"It's perfect for milk tea. You got any milk?"

'Ah, how unusually nice of them.'

"Yeah, if it's milk...I might have some." she thought, wandering into her small kitchen.

Tamaki looked distressed and pulled the Twins aside to scold them for humiliating Haruhi, "What did you do that for? Are you trying to embarass Haruhi by giving her something like that? Look at her! That look of suffering, like she doesn't know what to do with herself!" he whispered harshly, pointing to where Haruhi had her back turned to them.

"Ha-Haruhi, sorry. We didn't mean to be a bother." Kaoru pleaded. "If it's any trouble you don't have to make it."

"Really? But...tea's already done."

'That was quick.'

"Ah...really? It's okay then."

Tamaki let out a heavy sigh, "The commoner's wisdom saved us by the skin of our teeth," he murmured, "We... If we're not extra cautious, we might make the mistake of our lives at the most unlikely place."

'They're so dumb.' Kiiro thought as she accepted her cup from Haruhi. "Thank you, Haruhi."

"Then, we have to assume our common sense is meaningless here!"

'When did they get common sense?' Kiiro observed, amused by their distress.

"Just one sentence uttered without a second thought might wound Haruhi's heart. In other words, in this battle..." he trailed off.

"Let me guess, the first one to humiliate Haruhi loses?" Kiiro asked, sipping her tea.

"Ack! Hush, Kiiro-senpai!" the Twins whispered, flailing.

"Haruhi can't hear you!" Tamaki held a finger to his mouth.

"I don't understand why you need to call this a battle, but still, good luck." Kyouya read through the book shelf.

'So much for keeping Tamaki under control, Kyouya.'

"I'm sorry all of the cups don't match." Haruhi said as she finished laying out the cups.

"Haru-chan~! Choose a cake~!" Hani grinned sweetly.

"Oh, I can choose first, that's unusual."

"Frankly we're sick to death of eating something like tha-" Hikaru cut himself off, frightened that he might upset her.

"Hmmm. Then..." Haruhi made an obliviously cute face. "S...strawberry."

"Then, Haruhi, Mori and I will be strawberry~!" Hani announced. "Everyone else just eat what you want~!"

Kiiro took one of the chocolate cakes.

"You like strawberries?" Mori's rare voice asked Haruhi as he rolled a strawberry onto her plate.

"Yes, thank you." she smiled.

Tamaki and the Twins proceeded to flail uselessly and soundlessly, presumably kicking themselves for not being able to give Haruhi strawberries as well.

"The cake's just making me hungrier~!" Hani frowned.

"It's already past lunchtime."

"When are we having lunch?" King, Hani and the Twins asked, stuck in their own happy world.

"You people really lead an infinitely carefree life."

"Well," Kyouya stood, taking a golden card from his shirt pocket. "Since we came over unexpectedly, we'll buy." he offered.

'Hell just froze over...' Kiiro raised an eyebrow.

"How about we order something you like?"

"That's okay," Haruhi refused. "To have Kyouya-senpai pay..."

'She sees the possible consequence of it...' Kiiro chuckled.

"It's just the money we earned from auctioning off your notepad." his glasses glinted.

"Okay, that makes more sense."

"That...money is ultimately mine..." Haruhi muttered. "Then, there's a pretty good sushi shop nearby. I'll call them since I know the owner there. They're pretty upscale, so everyone should like..."

Tamaki straightened up, he quickly wrote a note to Haruhi, she read it and promptly threw it away.

'What was that about?'

"I know!" Haruhi said angrily.

"Daddy was worried that you might be humiliated!" Tamaki squirmed under her evil look.

"Haru-chan~! Haru-chan~!" I wanna eat food that Haru-chan made~!" Hani said sweetly.

"Ah, I can make it but...even if I start cooking now, it'll be a while."

"I can wait~!"

"Then, I'll have to go back to the supermarket..." Haruhi thought aloud, she wandered ro the front door to collect her bag.

"We wanna go too!" the Twins hopped up.

"Me too~! Me too~!"

"Well, who knows, it might be a good thing to experience."

"I guess I'll go too, then." Kiiro stood. "Twins to look after." she shrugged.

After minimal protests from Haruhi, the gang was headed to the commoner's supermarket.

On the way out they passed a very beautiful woman.

'...err man.'

"Was that...?" Kiiro trailed off.

"Where are Tamaki and Haruhi?" Kyouya asked as he watched the crossdresser recede from view.

Upon reentering Apartment 203 they found the long, red-haired man standing on Tamaki's back as he wailed and blubbered.

"Oh my, what a huge insect we have here," Haruhi's father growled, his lovely faced marred by anger. "Why do you keep calling my daughter's name so indiscriminately, huh?"

"Tono, what are you doing? I thought you were up to something since you weren't coming down..." Hikaru grinned, with a practiced laugh.

"Just as I suspected, it was Haruhi's Dad that passed by us downstairs..." Kaoru gathered.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, salvation from the heavens!" Tamaki exclaimed.

Instead of coming to his rescue the Twins only took advantage of the situation, stepping all over Tamaki to greet Haruhi's Father, "What's this, so you finally molested Haruhi? Hahaha. You're such a dolt." they mocked him in his misery. "Hi, we're Haruhi's closest personal best friends, the Hitachiin Brothers!" their scheming smiles gleamed. "We're really sorry, this idiot's such a womanizer. He's just a pheromone machine that has molested more women than there are grains of sand on a beach!" they held out their hands, having triumphed over their poor senpai.

'It's an all out attack..." Kiiro raised an eyebrow.

"Molest...?" Haruhi's Father seethed with visible rage.

Their slumped King rose up. "I! No!" he protested. "Who are you calling a molester?! I...honestly..." he bowed. "I honestly consider your daughter as my own daughter!" he declared.

The trio was silent before, much to Tamaki's dismay, the Twins broke out into laughter.

* * *

"Hahahahahahaha! So you are the Host Club I've heard about so much?" Haruhi's Dad placed a finely manicured hand to his lips. "You're all such handsome princes, who should I choose from among you? Just call me Ranka~!"

The group sat around the table again, with the exception of Tamaki, who sulked in a closet.

"It sounds like a word game~!" Hani announced.

Ranka blushed, "A real coincidence, isn't it, Mitsukuni-kun~?"

"How does he know our names?" the Twins asked flatly.

"Third years, Haninozuka-kun and Morinozuka-kun. First years, the Hitachiin Twins, Hikaru and Kaoru. And, ah, you must be the Art Director, Second year Kiiro-chan, right?" he named them all off. "I've heard all about you~!"

"Huh? From Haruhi?" Kaoru looked appropriately surprised.

"Everyday, by phone and email, from Kyouya-kun~!" Ranka clasped hands with the raven-haired boy.

The rest of the club, including Haruhi, were still with shock.

"This is the first I'm meeting him personally, but he's much more handsome than I've imagined~!" Ranka fawned.

"No, no." Kyouya deflected with a genuine smile. "It's Ranka-san who's truly beautiful. For providing those valuable photographs in the past...thank you."

'So that's where they came from?' Kiiro thought back to their break at the beach.

"Kyou...ya..." Tamaki muttered eerily from his closet.

"He left his precious daughter in our care." Kyouya's evil glint returned despite his unaltered facial expression. "Aside from notifying him, isn't it our natural duty to report regularly as a basic courtesy? By all rights, that should be your job, shouldn't it? Huh?"

Tamaki jumped.

"You're such an incredible club president~! My, my, but, Kyouya-kun is only the vice-president~?" Ranka said pointedly, watching Tamaki squirmed. "You sure have an utterly incompetent president~! He must be busy going around molesting women... I wanna see him at least...'

"No, no..." Tamaki curled up.

'He's great.' Kiiro smiled.

"Hold on, Dad!" Haruhi protested, "This is the first I've geard of your connection with Kyouya-senpai!" she crossed her arms in a statement of outrage.

"My, my, but you never tell me about your school life~!" Ranka pouted.

"And senpai! Stop cultivating mushrooms in someone else's closet!" Haruhi turned her anger on Tamaki, who was indeed surrounded by mushrooms...somehow.

"Haruhi, you, you..." Ranka stammered. "Even your angry face is sooooooooo cute~!" he bounced up to embrace his straight-faced daughter.

"He...he really reminds me of someone..." Hikaru stated.

"No wonder Haruhi's so good at handling Tono..." Kaoru agreed.

"It's a wonder the two don't get along." Kiiro added to the Twins's conversation.

"Ah, where are you going?" Ranka frowned as Haruhi broke away.

"To the supermarket." she said without much fanfare. "I'm gonna go shopping by myself. I'll be right back so everyone just stay here and stay out of trouble." she directed as she left.

"Ah, Haruhi! Us too!" Hikaru shouted after her.

"Forget it. Once that girl makes up her mind, she won't listen to anyone else." her father sighed dramatically, "I want to respect her independent attitude but, I wish she would rely on others from time to time. That girl, she decided all by herself to apply to Ouran Academy, and she even went through the enrolling process alone. I would have preferred that she went to a school with a cuter uniform. If it's a scholarship, then St. Lobelia or something..." he wilted.

There was a collective cringe from his audience.

"Lobelia's a little... There's a strange club there..."

"That's an understatement..." Kiiro shrugged.

"And I went through so much trouble giving birth to that girl, but she has absolutely no interest in her appearance..."

'But... What? Definitely like King.'

"Still I dressed her up adorably until Junior High. But one day...when she cut off her hair with her own two hands..." Ranka hid his face in his hands.

"We totally understand your feelings!" the club pouted.

"That's why I really appreciate you all," he went on. "She seems to be having a good time in school in her own way. And, she does seem like a boy sometimes, but you still take care of her. Isn't that right, Tamaki Suoh-kun?"

Tamaki's face lit up. Happy to finally be recognized.

"I heard you mistook Haruhi for a boy until the very end?" he raised an eyebrow at the blond. "And even worse you hit her on the head, too?"

King got up, running out of the apartment crying, "I'm a worthless human being!"

"Ack! He's running away!"

"But, more importantly~! Would you all like to do something fun with me...?" Ranka asked in an alarmingly smooth tone.

* * *

They were presently stalking Haruhi, and Tamaki, who had apparently caught up with the girl.

"For some reason, they're in "Gruff Mother" and "Cry Baby Son" mode..." Ranka tilted his head in confusion.

"But, what the hell is Tono up to?" the Twins asked. "Baby-roleplaying?"

"Well, he is pouting like a child." Kiiro examined the two, as Tamaki walked slowly and sulkily behind Haruhi, who paid him little mind.

"I think the more important thing is..." Kyouya started. "What kind of roleplay are we doing in the first place?" he sounded a tad disappointed in their choice of activity.

"It's a stalking roleplay, Kyouya-kun~!" Ranka grinned. "But, in fact...I just wanted to walk the streets with a bunch of handsome princes in tow!" he said, looking more than a little over the moon. "I'm sure Kiiro-chan can appreciate that want, right~?" he smiled.

"Uh...sure, Ranka?" she smiled back.

* * *

It was the first time Kiiro had ever been in a supermarket, she thought she wouldn't be so amazed, but it was a little bit amazing, and more than a little bit overwhelming. There were so many people and so many things and almost everything was on sale. She couldn't keep from oogling.

'Curse my rich genes...' she felt horribly arrogant.

But, in spite of her efforts to remain unaffected by the bewitching commoner fare, she still found herself looking through the trashy magazines, "Oh, these are all so interesting..."

All of the hosts were doing a terrible job at stalking, every moment they were almost caught by Haruhi and Tamaki.

"Do something about them." Kyouya nodded to the Twins as they excitedly ran around the store, nearly running into the two stalkees.

Kiiro sighed, assuming her scolding voice, "Boys, Ranka said we're playing the "stalking game" so don't interfere."

"But.." they protested like unhappy children.

"Go...look at candy."

"But..."

"Now."

"Okay."

"I did something." she turned back to Kyouya.

"Good."

And then Kyouya's staff, Tachibana, Honda and Aijima, showed up, dressed in suits and sunglasses, and extra conspicuous.

"That's not interfering?" Kiiro asked him in disbelief, "And you made me scold the Twins."

"Hn."

'I should be scolding him.' but she didn't say it, lest she earn the anger of the Shadow King.

"So, this is everyone's first time in a supermarket~?" Ranka asked loudly.

'Haruhi definitely heard that...' Kiiro wilted. 'They don't play the stalking game very well...'

"DAD!" Haruhi growled upon seeing the group. "Just what in the world do you think you're doing? Please stop this! You were supposed to be stopping by the house to change your clothes! What about your work?!"

"But, but, Daddy was so worried~!"

Needless to say the Host Club made a scene.

'As per usual...'

"Everyone out now!" Haruhi ordered. "I'll be right out behind you after I pay for these!"

* * *

They all finally ate lunch, 'Actually it may as well be dinner at this point.', back at Haruhi's house with their feet under a kotatsu, 'These tables are so interesting.', and, all in all, it was fun.

"Thank you for lunch, Haruhi!" Kiiro added happily as they left.

As they were getting back in the car, Kyouya asked, "You had fun, didn't you?" he eyed her grin.

"...Yes, actually, besides being drug out of bed early..." she looked at him from the corner of her eye.

"It was almost noon." he shrugged, "Don't complain." he added with a smirk.


	8. Cavities and a Curious Story

Chapter Eight: Cavities and a Curious Story

Kiiro was almost sick to her stomach, most days the Hosts were cheesy and cliche but, as Valentine's Day drew near, being in Music Room Three became almost unbearable. Every Host was in overdrive, overdosing their guests on their too-sweet phrases and their surgary smiles. Especially Hani-senpai, who was upping his cutesy act, making puppy dog eyes at all the girls and smiling sweetly to everything they said.

'No doubt he's trying to ensure he gets all the chocolate he wants this year.' Kiiro assumed, as this was what Valentine's Day was all about in Japan, girls bought or made chocolates to give to the boys they liked. So, of course, the Host Club was taking advantage of the holiday.

"Valentine's Day is a time when Hani-senpai's chocolate love barometer reaches the ultimate high!" Kiiro overheard Tamaki saying, "And, above all else, to a man, receiving chocolates on such a day is the utmost honor." he swooned, looking at his guests with his trademarked soft smile, hand to his heart.

The girls squealed.

'So, I was right...' Kiiro smirked where she sat by the windows, working on her 'secret project', listening to the overcharged hustle and bustle of the club.

"I am fully aware that it's nothing but a marketing ploy devised by candy industries all around the world!" Tamaki cooed on, "Nevertheless, a girl's heart, full of love, wants to take advantage of it!" he beamed. "Can you hear it?" he cupped a hand to his ear. "The voice of their mournful loves coming from their chocolates, filled with all their uncertainties and the tiniest spark of hope!"

This speech only served to give Kiiro a strange vision of creepy, talking chocolates, she stopped what she was doing, knitting her brow.

"That's what you call telepathy, right?" Haruhi chimed in, raising a brow.

"Just for your information," he grinned, making a peace-sign to his "daughter", "I like any chocolates! Even more so if they're homemade!"

'Nice try, King...'

Following the silence, he began to repeat, "Even more so if their home-"

"You don't have to say it twice on purpose..." Haruhi replied flatly.

"So, what I'm saying is...Haruhi's not going to be giving chocolate to her Daddy...?" he peeked at her, expression questioning her sadly.

"Ah!" she clapped her hands. "That's right! I gotta prepare-"

King perked up, joy written all over his face.

'Wait, she's really going to give him chocolate?'

"...some chocolates for my real Dad." she finished, oblivious to the tension in her senpai.

'Ah.'

Tamaki sulked in his corner.

"Hani-senpai? You're still eating cake?" Haruhi turned her attention to the senior, who was consuming more cake than usual. "You might end up with a cavity if you're not careful." she warned him.

He grinned, "It's okay~! I'm brushing my teeth diligently~!" he announced as he speared another whole slice of cake. As he popped the slice in his mouth, his eyes widened to twice their size in pain. He hid his face from Haruhi, as tears formed.

"Hani-senpai?"

"It's nothin'." he mumbled, holding one cheek.

"Wait! Open your mouth for a second!" the Twins sauntered over to him, trying to pry open his mouth.

"It's nothin'! It's nothin'!" he fought them off.

"Wait, Hani-senpai! Keep still!" Haruhi tried to convince him.

Kiiro joined, trying a softer approach, "Hani-senpai, sweetie, please open your mouth."

Hani looked up at her with twinkling eyes.

"Mori-senpai, hurry, it's Hani-senpai!" the Twins called as Mori arrived from Kendo Club.

Mori ran in wildly and pushed Hani back on the sofa he sat on. All the clients went crazy in response to the suggestive position they landed in. Without a second thought, or any convincing, Mori opened Hani's mouth. Sadly, he did have a cavity.

"Tamaki." was all Mori said.

"Ah, yes, I understand..." Tamaki held his chin. "Hani-senpai, you must be prohibited from sweets until your cavity is gone. Furthermore, the entire club will commence solidarity mode! And, we shall practice complete restraint during this year's Valentine's Day."

Along with the sound of all of the guests collective hearts breaking, Hani cried, "Say what?! N-no, Takashi! My cake! It doesn't hurt, really! It doesn't hurt at all!" he tried.

'Oh...' Kiiro had to admit to a soft spot to the boy, it was sad to see him like this. 'Poor Hani-senpai...'

"It's forbidden." Mori said darkly.

* * *

Prohibition Day #1

Kiiro had made sure that she hadn't brought anything that even resembled something sweet into the club room, but, of course, Kyouya had double checked her bag and her pockets despite her protests, "I just have to make sure." he smirked.

"No, you're just being nosy." she frowned at him as he went to open the front pocket to her school bag. "Oh no! You can't look there!" she snatched her bag from him.

"Why?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "My being denied only proves to increase my curiosity, you know."

She stuck her tongue out at him, "It's a super top secret project that I've been working on for a while and it's far from finished, I'll have you know."

Kyouya was about to protest again, before the Twins swooped in behind her, "What kind of top secret project, Kiiro-senpai?"

"It's definitely none of your business..." she held her bag close to her chest.

"Well, Valentine's Day is getting closer." Hikaru looked to Kaoru.

"Yeah, I bet it's a love letter..." Kaoru looked to Hikaru.

"Hardly." Kiiro snubbed them.

"Who's it for? Who's it for?" they teased, sidling up to either side of her.

"It's none of your business!" she pushed them away. "And it's not a love letter!" she blushed at their teasing.

"Yeah, right, Kiiro-senpai." they grinned. "Whatever you say..." they waved her off as they walked away, losing interest.

"Kiiro?" Kyouya still stood before her.

Kiiro turned to her friend, "Y-Yeah?"

"Who _is _your love letter for?" he smiled.

"Ah! It's not a love letter!" she defended herself.

* * *

The prohibition had gotten to the guests, they were all down about how they couldn't bring in chocolates to their Hosts. So, there was extra comforting in the schedule today.

"Tamaki-sama, I'm so saddened." one girl sniffed, dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief. "I wanted to give you specialty chocolates from our patisserie as my gift to you..." she explained with a heavy heart.

"Don't be so sad, my princess..." he touched his forehead to hers, taking her hands in his. "This is enough for me." was his suave reply. "No matter what kind of special chocolates they may be, they would melt instantly, without even a trace, in the heat of our love... After all," he sat up straight, throwing one hand out, "we don't need anything like a physical symbol to provide evidence of our love for each other!"

"Tamaki-sama!" his clients swooned.

"Ok, I think we worried about nothing here..." the Twins stated with a shrug and a grin. "You deserve to be president, indeed. Great transparent act." they high-fived.

Tamaki pointed at them angrily, "Nonsense! In the face of any and all adversity, our priority should be the clients' happiness!" he scolded them. "To make the lady give gifts disqualifies you as a gentleman in the first place! Along with my home country of France, in Europe it is customary for the gentleman to present a bouquet of flowers to the women!" he informed them.

"The better he feels, the more sidetracked his speech gets!" the Twins clapped.

"Perhaps he's just trying to justify his inability to receive chocolates from Haruhi." Kyouya said nonchalantly.

Tamaki sulked in his corner, 'Nail on the head.'

"Where's Haruhi?"

"She said she was gonna stop by the library on the way here."

"Again? Oh well. Anyways..."

"You two shouldn't let your guard down either." Kyouya warned the boys. ""Use all means necessary to prevent Hani-senpai from receiving any sweets." By the way, that's Mori-senpai's instructions." Kyouya grinned, seeming to be quite carefree.

"He looks like he's enjoying himself."

"He's happy because the cost of Hani-senpai's snacks is fixed. No doubt about it."

* * *

Prohibition Day #2

Strategy #1

"Takashi~!" Hani ran into the club room happily. "I think my cavity's all better now~!" he announced. "And not even swollen anymore~! That's why...just one~?"

"Mitsukuni." Mori eyed him with suspicion.

Kiiro watched as Mori shoved a popsicle into Hani's mouth. Hani's cheek swelled and he had tears in his eyes.

"It'll be a while until it doesn't hurt anymore..." Mori told him.

"I think he's starting to get desperate..." Kiiro hid behind her 'secret project'.

"I just hope he's able to last without sweets until his cavity gets fixed." Haruhi told her.

* * *

Strategy #2

"What are you drinking~?" Hani asked his guests, sweetly.

"It's darjeeling, Hani." one girl answered.

"What are you eating~?"

"We're having some sandwiches."

"Ho-hum~." he smiled. "I think some sweet cookies would go really well together with black tea~. Won't you have any of those~?"

The clients went silent.

"I'm sorry! Please excuse us!" the girls ran off, unable to resist his cuteness while still not wanting to break the prohibition.

* * *

Strategy #3a

"Haru-chan, am I such a bad boy?" Hani slumped in front of the girl.

"Hani-senpai?"

"Did I do anything to make God angry at me?" he continued, tears streaming down his face.

Unable to take seeing his depression continue, Haruhi rummaged in her pocket, "Ok, but only a little."

Everyone in the club stiffened, bar Hani, who perked up.

"Here." she produced a small box of...seaweed? "It sort of looks like chocolate."

Hani wilted once more, having asked the wrong person.

Strategy #3b

"Hello, Kir-chan..." Hani collapsed in the chair beside hers.

Kiiro steeled herself, "H-hi, Hani-senpai!" she grinned.

He proceeded to wipe the tears that quickly formed in his eyes.

Her heart sunk, "Oh, please don't cry!" she jolted upright.

"What...did I do...to deserve this...?" he asked solemnly.

"U-uh..."

"Don't give in." a whisper pressed against her ear. Two hands wrapped around her own.

"Kyouya, you already checked me for sweets. You know I have none." Kiiro turned her face to his neck. "Now, get off." she turned back to Hani, "Sorry, Hani-senpai, I don't have anything to give you."

Hani sighed and walked away to sulk.

"C'mon, Kyouya." she fidgeted and he removed his hands.

"Is that the attitude you ought to show to someone who just tried to come to your rescue?" he shrugged.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"If you do that again, I'll cut it out." he smiled. "Unless you're willing to put it to better use."

She quickly retreated her tongue, "Get your mind out of the gutter!" she hissed as her face turned nearly purple.

"Hn."

* * *

Prohibition Day #3

Hani held an annoyed glare, and he was staring at all the other club members as they huddled around one table.

"Someone try talking to him... he's scary!"

"I never thought I would live to witness the "dark mode" with my own eyes! Someone call Renge! Maybe she'll be happy!"

"The snack cupboard!" Tamaki fretted as Hani opened the doors to an adjoining room.

"Don't worry, it's totally empty..."

Hani rummaged through all of the drawers and cabinets before finding and flinging Tamaki's teddy bear.

"Kuma!" Tamaki wailed.

Hani fell forward, collapsing on the polished marble floor.

"He's passed out!"

"Surrendering in three day...he lasted longer than I expected..."

"Ha-Hani-senpai?!" King leapt up and ran over to check on the boy. But when he got close enough, Hani bit down on his extended arm.

"OOOOOWWWWW!" Tamaki flung his arm up, with Hani still attached.

"Mitsukuni." Mori stopped him. "Don't take your anger out on innocent people or objects. It's unbecoming..."

Hani detached himself from Tamaki's arm, he tensed up, balling his fists, "Takashi, you dummy!" he yelled as he flipped Mori over, smacking him onto the floor. "What's so wrong with eating a little bit?! You worry wart! Butthead! Baldie!"

"Baldie..?"

"I don't wanna... I don't wanna see your face ever again!" Hani cried as he fled the room at full speed, covering his eyes and wiping away his tears with his shirt sleeve.

"Hani-senpai!" Tamaki followed the senior.

"Mori-senpai, are you alright?" Kaoru asked.

Mori stood, and staggered until he fell back onto the floor.

"U-um...?" Kiiro was unsure of what to do in such a situation.

"Mori-senpai seems to be in deep shock... Perhaps he couldn't help himself..."

"If he was going to get shocked so badly, he shouldn't have done anything to earn that hatred." the Twins concluded.

"On purpose?" Haruhi prompted. "By any chance, is Mori-senpai trying to make Hani-senpai hate him on purpose?"

"Hm?" Kiiro turned to her.

"That's not possible." the Twins told her in unison. "To be hated by Hani-senpai would be like the end of the world for Mori-senpai..."

"Exactly." Haruhi agreed. "Say, for instance, Mori-senpai thinks it's his fault that Hani-senpai has a cavity?"

"It_ is _my fault." Mori interrupted from the floor, "Mitsukuni's cavity is because of my carelessness. I forgot to remind him to brush his teeth twice before his nap."

Despite the serious tone of his voice, the present members of the club were having a tough time of taking him seriously, "Th-that's not really your responsibility."

Mori put a hand to his forehead, ignoring them, "If, by any chance, he needs to get dentures..."

"He's surprisingly pessimistic." the club collectively fell flat.

"If Mitsukuni hadn't at least thrown me on the ground..." he continued,despondent and hiding his face. "I wouldn't have felt even the least bit better..."

"Then, when you refused that girl's confession, you really did that to punish yourself?" Haruhi tilted her head.

The club looked to her, confused, when, "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!" Hani ran in crying. "I'm so sorry, Takashi!" he collapsed beside Mori, hugging him tightly. "I'll never forget to brush my teeth ever again!"

Mori's empty expression changed to one of surprise, then he smiled as he hugged his cousin back.

"So, you figured it out, too?"

"Yes!" Tamaki walked back into the room. "Then everyone, please prepare for tomorrow's Valentine's Day!" he held out his hand, looking determined.

"What are you talking about?" the Twins criticized him. "Who's going to give us chocolate this late?"

"Didn't I tell you that I'm a French gentleman?" his smile glinted. "If so, then certainly! Kiiro?" he pointed to her.

"Yes, Tamaki?"

"Are we going to be able to get some last minute decorations?"

"Of course, King." she smirked.

"This year's Host Club-style Valentine's Day..."

* * *

Upon entering the Third Music Room on Valentine's Day, each girl was greeted by the sight of their favorite boys holding large bouquets of beautiful red roses, handing them out with a smile.

"To our clients, our love. Receive a blindingly brilliant smile as a reply, and, even though the love cannot be reciprocated, at least...a single rose."

Kiiro smiled, "The European style, huh?" she sealed the envelope containing her "secret project". "Not a bad idea..."

"Kiiro?"

She looked over the back of her chair, to where Kyouya stood, "Ne?"

"So, who's that love letter for?" he smirked, teasing.

"No one of consequence." she stuck up her nose. "And it's not a love letter!"

"Of course..." he shrugged. "Anyway...here." he held out a rose.

"W-what?"

"I had an extra." he said simply, handing it to her. "And I didn't feel like carrying it around..."

She stuck her tongue out at him, but accepted the rose, "Well, thank you then, Kyouya."

"Remember what I said about your tongue." he warned her, tapping her forehead.

She flushed, quickly turning around.

...

"Kyouya-sama," one of his maids alerted him. "You've received something in the mail."

He took the pink package from the maid's hands, "Thank you."

She bowed and left his room.

He unwrapped it, "Probably another client's valentine..."

Underneath the paper, he held an oil-painted heart, decorated at the edges with a delicate lace, in elegant calligraphy it read, "Happy Valentine's Day, Shadow King. Yours truly..." he smiled, knowingly exactly who it was from even when her name was unwritten. "Not a love letter, hn?"

* * *

The very next day, Hani's cavity had been fixed and he received a pile of confectioneries approximately five times his size, and he had eaten all of it in approximately half the time it took a normal person to eat a single slice of cake.

* * *

"What's this? The main story is over already?" Kyouya raised an eyebrow to Tamaki. "And by any chance am I getting the caterpillar role?"

"There were lots of requests and stuff..."

"Alice in Wonderland has a lot of characters and the author won't get in too much trouble either..." the Twins grinned.

"You naive and unenlightened peons..." Tamaki said arrogantly. "Alice in Wonderland, huh? Then undoubtedly the main character would be...!"

'Haruhi in a frilly, lacy, aproned dress?' everyone thought, not daring to say it out loud.

"Then, we'll get started right away!" he announced happily. "Once upon a time, far, far away...there lived the cutest twin girls in the world named Alice!"

'Wait, that's not right.'

Tamaki pounced on the Hitachiin brothers, who were now wearing the frilly, lacy,aproned dresses that the club had imagined on someone else, "Why the hell are you bastards Alice?! Your Daddy almost died over there!" he growled.

"But Kyouya-senpai said that we were the ones who were most appropriate character wise..." they stuck their tongues out at him, "And we're cute."

Tamaki flew into a rage, "You're not cute! Who would want to see such a crappy Alice?! The Alice I'm thinking of is loads cuter and kinder! Like an angel with a spotless heart and pure, innocent eyes! That doesn't even remotely resemble you two bastards!" he flailed.

"Well, we don't care either way, but..." they said in unison. "If we make Haruhi Alice then..."

""I'm in trouble, I'm in trouble~!" A little, honey-haired boy with bunny ears and a waistcoat ran through the field. "I'm late~! I'm late~! I'm late~! The time's already...~" he checked his pocket watch. "I'm gonna get scolded by the queen~!"

A girl with short, brown hair watched the rabbit go into it's hole and then turned back to the book in her hand, "Now, where was I...?"

Since Alice was a girl with absolutely no curiosity, she definitely wouldn't do anything so careless like chasing after a rabbit with a waistcoat.

The End.""

"...It'll end like this." the Twins, still in Alice attire, finished.

"W-well, what about this one...?" Tamaki stammered, offering a substitute Alice.

""I'm late~!" the honey-haired, white rabbit checked his pocket watch and jumped down his hole.

This Alice, with long curly hair and glasses looked down the hole in which the rabbit had disappeared, she straightened up with a startled expression, "Y-you're kidding, right? There's no way I'm jumping down there!" she announced, retreating to a safe distance.

Since this Alice was a girl with little courage, she definitely wouldn't do something as risky as jumping down some dark hole.

The End.""

The Twins looked to their club president, point proven yet again.

"F-fine..." Tamaki hung his head, defeated.

""So, that's why we will progress the story, for now, with Alice = Hitachiin Brothers."

"You humanoid rabbit, halt!" Alice yelled as they hopped down the rabbit hole without a second thought.

"There is not a treasure more precious and priceless than a talking rabbit, right, Alice B?"

"This would be the perfect way to kill some time, right, Alice A?"

They fell all the way down to a small, mysterious room.

"But, the problem is..."

"...how the hell are we going to get past this tiny door?"

The rabbit suddenly shrank down to about a foot or so tall, running through the mini-door.

The Alices grinned, "That's our Hani-senpai! Elasticity on demand!"

"This is when you need this drink..." a boy in a dark cloak, who appeared from nowhere, propositioned. He held a bottle marked, "The Getsmaller" ...though it wasn't marked "Poison" so...

"Who're you?" the Twins asked, unphased.

"I'm the Mysterious Merchant." he grinned in his shadows.

"Is there even a character like that in Alice in Wonderland?"

"When you drink this your body will instantly shrink..." he explained. "And when you eat the companion cake, "Le Getbigger", your body will grow to an incredible size~." the merchant went on in his spooky voice. "An enchanted world lies beyond that door... If you travel through without these items, you will definitely regret it~..."

They gulped, "Then we'll just grit our teeth and..." the Alices started. "Let Alice C taste it."

A taller, blond Alice appeared, "Why me?! You guys, only calling me when you're in trouble!"

"So what? It's service, service." Alice A explained with a smirk.

"We received requests for the president to dress like a girl, too." Alice B continued.

"Really, we got requests?" Alice C marveled.

"Then I shall reward the brave lady with a special bonus gift..." the merchant continued. "Large Beelzeneff, medium Beelzeneff of small Beelzeneff? Which do you prefer?"

"Then, the small one..." Alice C said smally, pocketing the little cat puppet the cloaked man produced.

"Dude, this story is getting weirder and weirder..."

"Then..." Alice C held the bottle of "The Getsmaller" to his lips and drank. Alice C was suddenly small enough to fit through the door.

"Mini-Tono complete!" Alices A and B pushed Alice C through the door. "Have a safe trip!" they waved their handkerchiefs at him.

"By myself?" he turned to them.

"Yeah, because, you know, we're busy and we're tired of this dress, too. Bye~!"

This is how Alice C's adventures started.

Alice C stood before a dark and spooky forest, "Somehow, this is totally different from how I imagined it..."

"Look at this! How can such a shabby looking flower exist?"

Alice C looked for who the voice must have come from, finding only three flower ladies in front of him, "With her zero attractiveness she will be ignored in any flower garden!" the daisy said. "Right, Rose? Silver Bell?"

"Daisy, that's a little too much, she'll look even more pathetic if you say it so bluntly." the silver bell said.

"This is the Lobelia flower garden..." the rose said. "A garden of allure where only the most fragrant of girls will be permitted to enter."

Another, teeny flower asked, "Dear shabby flower, what breed are you?"

"I-I'm not a flower!" Alice C answered. "My name is Alice! I'm a man!"

"A man?" the flowers looked repulsed. "Why, you shameless pervert! You dressed up in girls clothes and dared defile us with your presence in this girls' flower garden? He's a lowlife! A lowlife!" they screamed.

"No!" Tama-I mean-Alice C pleaded as they wrapped him up in thorny vines. "Wait! Calm down! What're you talking about, garden of allure? No matter how much you look at it, it's a cursed forest!"

The flowers stopped yelling and unwrapped Alice C, "That's not too far from the truth, hearing such a thing. Yes... This forest is indeed cursed..." they sniffled.

"Until recently, this forest was under the prosperous rule of The Red Queen...and everyone lived peacefully." the silver bell wilted a bit.

"But, when the Queen collapsed from an illness and The Black Queen ascended to the throne, things drastically changed. "The Black Queen is horribly capricious. If she gets even slightly upset, someone would be executed on the spot. Even when that person would be fortunate enough to escape execution, they would receive a curse..."

"As a result, the light was taken out of this forest due to the fact that it was incompatible with the Queens sense of aesthetics," the rose finished. The flowers held each other close, "Even though we hate the Queen... What can mere flowers like us do? We have no choice but to depend on each other's bodies, awaiting a savior..."

"Nee-san!"

"How... could she..." Alice C started. "I'll try and resolve it! Explain more in detail about The Black Queen!"

"The Black Queen looks like this..." A picture of a boyish-looking Queen with glasses and long, black hair appeared.

"Just remembered a previous engagement..." Alice C said, upon seeing the picture.

"Running away is against the rules!" the flowers shouted as they rolled Alice C up in thorny vines.

"Lemme go! It's dangerous! My primal instincts are telling me that that face is never to be disobeyed!"

"Argh! You're talking too much!"

Another Alice this one much more genuine, with short, dark hair and wide eyes abruptly took the place of Alice C, "Why am I here?"

"Oh my how cute!" the flowers fawned. "She looks like a butterfly just emerged from her cocoon! A girl like you shouldn't go near The Black Queen! Yes, yes! It's too dangerous! Let's all live together here in harmony!"

"Ack! Nevertheless, meeting the Queen is the first thing I must do!" Alice explained as the flowers hugged her. Alice said her goodbyes and left.

Truthfully, Alice had no interest in deposing the Queen or anything like that, but, with her straightforward personality, she believed she would always carry out what was said. The dispassionate Alice, in order to gather more information, decided to talk to someone called "Duchess of Gossip" or whatever. So she went to her house, which was littered with doujinshi and memorabilia from several dating games.

"Lordy! So, you'll topple The Black Queen for me?" the otaku Duchess exclaimed upon hearing this Alice's story.

"Well, not really topple or anything, I just want to talk to her first..."

"I know it's the natural order of the world that a brave warrior should appear to a maiden in distress..." the Duchess cried.

"Distress?"

The butler explained, "The Duchess had, in fact, received the sentence of execution from The Black Queen."

Alice went wide eyed.

"I don't even know what I did wrong... I... just... thought that the relationship between The Queen and Mr. Tachibana was a little suspicious... So I was only slightly spreading some rumors around..."

"Isn't that called 'reaping what you sowed'?" Alice asked dispassionately.

"But, the way they looked at each other was so deep and meaningful... I saw them before, putting a hand on the shoulder like this..." she held her face in her hands, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

The Duchess's information were all just empty rumors.

"What am I going to do with this lovely baby if something happens to me...?" she produced a baby swaddled in cloth.

"You have a baby? Can I try holding it?" Alice asked. The Duchess handed her the very straight faced baby. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"It's called, "Moriko". It's a very mature baby, so it never cried even once since the day it was born..."

"Ah, so it's a girl."

"Is the Duchess in here?" Two knights stormed into her manor. "On the order of The Black Queen, you are hereby under arrest!"

"Dear brave warrior, I must go to the castle now! You will need comrades to rescue a captured maiden! I mean each one needs to be assigned a role! You must not forget an intellectual monk, a wizard, and of course, a swordsman! And finally, the most important thing you must remember is the visuals! Make sure to gather only the visually appealing people and...!" The Duchess explained as she was taken away. "... you must come and save me!"

"Duchess...! She just babbled on by herself and left?" Alice looked down at the baby. "You wanna come with me to the castle? To meet your mother?"

The baby nodded.

And this is how Alice began her journey to the castle.

"Look over there, Cheshire B, those two."

"A girl and a baby hoping to depose the Queen?"

"They either don't value their lives or their simple idiots. Don't you think so, Cheshire A?" The two Cheshire Cats, which looked suspiciously like Alice A and B, watched.

"Who are you?" Alice asked.

"We are the famous Cheshire Cat Doppelgangers!" they announced in unison. "We were originally one cat, but, we were divided into two exquisite being by the Queen's curse! We only played a light joke on her, dunking her pet Elephant-turtle into her favorite dish, mock turtle soup... We really don't like adults without a sense of humor..."

"But, luckily, since we're not doing anything at the moment, we'll accompany you. If we beat the Queen, what're you going to give us as a reward?"

"Gold coins? Gems? A new game?"

"Uhm... I don't have anything."

"You dumb cats, don't make me laugh," an egotistical voice said. "To extort gifts from such a frail lady, you're failures as gentlemen." a boy appeared before them, he was dressed in a nice burgundy suit and had a large top hat on, and he looked a good deal similar to Alice C.

"The swindler Mad Hatter!"

"Swindler?"

"He was jailed because he was indiscriminately using mysterious cheats at the Queen's Cricket Match."

"Didn't you get executed already?"

"Something like breaking out of jail is a piece of cake for someone like me," The Hatter held up his index finger. "Living a life on the run like this isn't too bad but,... what do you think young lady?" he kissed Alice's hand. "If I can preserve your dignity and topple the Queen, will you promise to marry me?"

"That's even worse than extorting gifts..."

The cats and The Hatter all created a game where the one to topple the Queen would marry Haru- I mean- Alice.

The baby began to cry. Alice tried to console him, "That's right! I had some cookies in my pocket, will he eat them?"

The cookies however, were the "Le Getbigger"'s and made the baby grow to the size of a tall, teenage boy. The cats quickly clothed him. He still had the mind of a one-year-old and held on to Alice. She patted him on the head.

"Dude, this is turning out to be a competition for Alice."

"Even if you're only a baby on the inside, I can't forgive such sexually harassing behavior!" The Hatter said. "Alright then! This is a fight to the death with my manly pride on the line! The person who topples the Queen is the true warrior and...!"

'Wins the right to seize Alice for himself!'

So, I don't really know what happened here but, the battle has started.

-Meanwhile at the Castle-

"Bunch of stinking rats, useless scheming." The Black Queen observed.

"Should we send in the military?"

"No. It would only be a waste of time and troops." she took off her glasses. "I'll take care of them myself. Send The Page to invite them to The King's Chambers."

-Back with Alice-

As the cats and Hatter stood arguing, a girl in an Ace of Spades uniform wandered up, hauling a bucket of black paint.

"Excuse me, are you Alice?" she asked, pushing her glasses up.

"Um, yeah."

"I've been told to invite you to the palace, I'll lead you there."

So, The Page lead them to the castle, once there she stopped in the Garden and began painting the red roses black, "I'm sorry, this is as far as I can take you. I have to get back to painting."

"Why are you painting the roses?" Alice asked.

"Because the Queen likes black roses, I wasn't ordered to, but I thought she might appreciate it."

"Why would you do something nice for her?" the cats asked.

"I know she can be a bit harsh sometimes-."

"Sometimes?" The Hatter interrupted flatly.

"Okay, so, I know she can be harsh, but she's actually nice when it suits her..." The bespectacled Page stopped. "Ah! I've said too much! Hurry, hurry into the castle!"

The Black Queen sat in her throne next to the White Rabbit.

"Why is it I get the feeling that it was too easy to meet the Queen?"

"I thought we would have had to fight more. Anticlimactic."

"Is it because there are only a few pages left?" the group whispered.

"Stop yapping you worms." the Rabbit said evilly.

"That rabbit's the one from the very beginning."

"That bastard is a rabbit with a dual personality."

"Don't be so presumptuous, you stupid, ignorant peons," the Rabbit continued. "If the Queen didn't stop me, I would have cut your throats already. I absolutely loathe microbes like you."

"I think you all have misconceptions on things..." the Queen spoke. "Executions or all other punishments. You should understand that all actions taken were for the good of the kingdom."

"What the hell did you just say?" The Hatter yelled.

"First, regarding the curse on Lobelia Forest. That was simply used to reduce heating and lighting costs." The Queen continued. "That forest never had any natural sunlight. The only reason why there was ever any light in there was because there was an artificial sun installed using taxpayer money. Next, about the punishment for the Cheshire Cat. The Elephant-turtle he boiled alive was intended to be bred and used as a food source for the kingdom. And, The Duchess was using ungodly amounts of paper to print out unfounded rumors. And, as far as the Cricket Match that The Mad Hatter over there ruined, if it ended successfully, we would have had a chance to receive a large sum of aid loans from other countries."

"Then perhaps..."

"Yes, because of all the wasteful policies of the previous Red Queen, our kingdom currently is in a terrible deficit."

"W-what can I say... I'm sorry." Alice, for some reason, apologized. "Maybe The Page was right."

"That doesn't give you the right to execute anyone you feel like!" The Hatter shouted. "Didn't you learn in Kindergarten that's it's bad to kill other people?"

"First of all, I never attended Kindergarten. And whatever it was: heating and lighting costs, military expenses, I reduced the costs of everything possible. The only thing left is... No choice but to reduce "Human Beings". Are all the guests gathered?"

"Yes, your majesty."

"Don't you think it's not a bad idea to provide executions for entertainment?" The Queen asked as the group was surrounded by guards. "Your life would be used as a resource for your beloved country."

The area around the group flashed brightly.

"Mad Hatter?" Alice questioned.

"You know why they call my tricks mysterious?" he smiled. "Although everyone concluded that it was a trick, no one was able to figure out the principles behind it... because... there are no illusions or misdirection involved with this "trick"."

"What...?"

"Summon Gryphon!"

A giant gryphon appeared in the room, his talons extended as he reached for The Queen and The Rabbit. "Cockledoodledoo! Cockledoodledoo!" It crowed as it chased the two away with it's fire breath.

"Amazing magic! Real magic!"

"He's a wizard! A real wizard!" the cats alighted with amazement.

The Queen regained her composure. "You bastard..." she aimed her magic scepter.

Alice frantically searched for something that would help them. From her pocket she produced the small Beelzeneff and the last of the "Le Getbigger".

"This is... Go Beelzeneff!"

The cat-puppet grew to a size even larger than the Gryphon and fell over onto The Queen.

So, that is how The Black Queen and the castle disappeared without a trace. Some distant relative of the royal family named Mr. Nekozawa appeared and peace finally returned to the kingdom. And thus...

"Alice will marry me!" The Hatter yelled at the cats.

"Alice was the one who toppled The Black Queen! So we have rights to her, too!" the cats challenged.

"Uh. What are you guys talking about~?" The, now friendly, Rabbit asked. "Lemme in, too~!"

"Right, Alice! Who're you gonna choose as your...?"

When they turned the only person standing there was Alice D, who looked suspiciously like Moriko.

"Where did Alice go?!" they cried.

"Alice! Alice! Alice! Sleeping in a place like this...?"

Alice woke up in the same place where she had first seen The Rabbit. Her mother, who looked suspiciously like The Black Queen, smiled, "You want to go home? With your mom? Huh?"

"Yes, mom."

So Alice, awakened from her dream, goes back home with her mom. While Tamaki and the others become permanent members of the dream world. And all ends well."

* * *

"That was a nice story, Kir-chan~..." Hani yawned as he laid down for his nap.

"Thanks, Hani-senpai." Kiiro chuckled as she shut the book in her hand.

"What an odd request for a nap time story..." Kyouya mused.

"Alice in Wonderland meets Host Club." she grinned.

"Why was I the Black Queen?"

"I never said you were." Kiiro shrugged. "I just heavily implied it."


	9. The Newspaper Club and Rain

Chapter Nine: Newspaper Club and Rain

Coming to you from Ouran Academy on a clear spring day...

"Really? It's already spring again? There's no way I've been here a year!" Kiiro reasoned, finding this situation very peculiar.

"I told you you'd be surprised at how often spring rolls around in this series." Kyouya tapped his pen to her forehead.

That place full of cherry blossoms was a Heian Aristocratic Garden.

"Welcome." the club in full Heian regalia greeted dreamily.

Tamaki was entrancing his clientele with a 'Forbidden Meeting in the Cherry Trees' play. The Hitachiin Brothers were putting extra effort into their Twincest Act. Kyouya was enchanting his guests with the Yarimizu stream he had had placed in the garden...and selling reservations to a tea party. Hani was being as adorable as ever, with Mori at his side being as silent as ever. And, Haruhi...

Well, Haruhi was staring off into space.

'Eh, that's semi-normal for her.' Kiiro thought as she brainstormed ideas for special club presentations to put into action after summer vacation.

"Haruhi get down!" Tamaki yelped. He sprinted to Haruhi as a soccer ball flew toward her, he grabbed her, spinning out of the way. "Hikaru! You moron! You almost extinguished the flame of Haruhi's life!" he screeched as he helped Haruhi up.

"If Tono had caught it properly, this wouldn't have happened!" Hikaru accused.

"Dude, you can't even play football properly!" Kaoru added. "You're just wasting your nickname, the Hikaru Genji of Ouran!"

"Say what?" Tamaki knitted his brow, suddenly he was in a soccer uniform, "Then eat this you bastards! Starlight Kick!" he kicked the ball at lightning speed...

'Laws of physics be damned!' Kiiro went wide eyed.

"What the hell?!"

...out above the treeline.

The Twins waved to it as it winked out of sight.

"Uh?" Tamaki looked humiliated.

_Kerash!_

The Twins erupted into laughter.

* * *

"I'm sorry!" Tamaki bowed. "I don't know what else to say to express how truly sorry I am!"

The club sat in the room reserved for the Newspaper Club. The ball Tamaki had kicked had gone straight through their window and smacked into the head of their president, Akira Komitsuzawa.

"No, no, it's alright," Akira assured. "It's only a slight mistake, completely shattering the window and hitting me right on the head."

'He doesn't make it sound like a slight mistake...' Kiiro raised an eyebrow.

"But your timing is quite fortuitous. In fact, I was just going to request cooperation from the Host Club for us to cover you for a story." he chuckled faintly.

"Eh? So there was a Newspaper Club?" Haruhi asked as she was sweeping up the shards of glass from the window.

"Well, it's just a piece of trash called, "Ouran Sports"." the Twins explained. "It's only a tabloid gossip rag that exaggerates and prints school romances or internal conflicts in classes that have competing families. It's so full of made-up stories that no one reads it anymore."

'They speak so harshly of other boys.'

"Obviously, in our quest to get any attention at any cost..." Akira looked forlorn. "...we had forgotten the meaning of truth. However, since we're now facing closure, we remembered our true calling."

"Please help us!" his two subordinates, Chikage Ukyo and Tomochika Sato, pleaded. "This cover story will feature the true, charming side of you entitled, "Contact! Host Club 24 Hours!"

'That's how you strike a chord.'

Tamaki face lit up with surprise, "Oh, is this the one where I chase after violent criminals or something? Or do you want to capture me working tirelessly to prevent crime?"

'Uh? Well, they would have struck a chord if he wasn't an idiot...' Kiiro smirked.

"Huh?... No, it's really not related to "Police Department 24 Hours" at all..."

"We accept." King smiled.

"We refuse." Kyouya pushed Tamaki out of the way.

"Kyouya, you have no idea how emotionally moving that show is!"

"They're not talking about the show..." Kiiro tried to bring Tamaki down from whatever planet he was on.

"Furthermore, this person was injured because of me!" he argued, flailing against Kyouya.

"I apologize, but the release of any of our personal information is limited to our clientele." Kyouya pushed back at Tamaki.

"We'll pay for any hospital treatment." the Twins shrugged. "And besides, we don't see any merit in cooperating with a bunch of people who print whatever stories they want. We absolutely loathe people who are burdens to others."

Kiiro held her sarcastic comment about the pot and the kettle.

"You're right..." Akira's head fell to his desk.

'Ah, I see what's going on here...'

"President!"

"We can't wash away our past transgressions, can we?" he asked woefully. "Although it's heartbreaking, we might just be better off if we shut down cleanly..."

"That's not true!" Tamaki shouted, moved. "A person can start over at any time! Alright, leave it to me! The entire Host Club will fully assist in the Newspaper Club's revival..."

"We're not cooperating!" Hikaru and Kaoru shouted back.

"What?"

"If we follow every fool thing your bleeding heart comes up with, it'll be endless!" the pair explained. "Honestly, it's annoying, we're leaving now!"

"Let's go, Tamaki. We'll have some self-reflection in the club room." Kyouya offered.

"Don't you guys have an ounce of sympathy?!" he yelled, genuinely mad. "They said shut down! Their whole family will be ripped apart!"

"Nope, I don't know what you mean." the Twins answered with a shrug.

"This is a direct order from your president! Refusing is unacceptable!"

'Oh, he plays 'that card'.'

"We refuse." End of story.

Tamaki fell over as everyone exited.

* * *

Back in Music Room Three, Tamaki sulked in his corner with little corn chips on his fingers.

"He's really mad, he didn't even change his clothes."

"The "Really close by, but trying your best not to meet anyone else's eye" is a very childish fighting style."

"It's because Tamaki gets lonely very easily~..."

"In any event, can someone tell him that he doesn't always have to eat those chips that way? Looks like he thinks the world will end or something if he doesn't put them on his fingertips or something..." Haruhi said with a sweatdrop.

"I think it's part of his act..."

"Is it so impossible to cooperate with the Newspaper Club?" Haruhi asked.

"Wait, Haruhi why are you taking the president's side all of a sudden?" the Twins couldn't disguise their shock.

"Well, that's not it, but... if we leave him like that I get this weird feeling that he's gonna start peeking this way with his puppydog eyes and then we'll all be left with no choice but to follow him..."

"Haruhi... you're really gaining experience."

"Even you guys, normally you two would get all excited about something like this..."

"Oh, really we cant just be bothered..." the twins cleared.

"And you Hani-senpai...?"

"You know I need to eat my cake~!"

True to Haruhi's prediction, Tamaki peeked over at the group.

'Oh no...' Kiiro stopped.

He turned, then peeked again.

'...' Kiiro looked over at Kyouya.

Kyouya sighed, "We have to set some conditions in exchange. The topic for the cover story will be decided by our side. Basically, interviews are forbidden. And revealing our client services may be compromising to the clientele, so that's out too. Is everyone okay with that?"

"Well, since Kyouya-senpai proposed it, alright."

"Okay~!"

Tamaki looked like a child who had just been told that Christmas was now being held everyday, "Alright! Then let's hold a meeting right now to decide on the topic! First up, Hitachiin Brothers! Ideas!" he stood triumphant.

"Yeah, yeah."

* * *

"REEEEEDLIIIIIIGHT, Greenlight!" Tamaki looked back.

Kiiro froze. Kyouya still stood far back. The twins stopped in funny poses.

"Reeeeeedliiiiiiight, Greenlight!" Tamaki turned.

The twins and Hani all froze in difficult poses. Kiiro tried not to chuckle.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, you just moved a little!"

"No we didn't!"

"Hey, Kyouya, if you move a little you might have a chance at winning." Kiiro teased.

"You'll see." he smiled at her, remaining perfectly still.

The Host Club was allowing the Newspaper Club to watch as they played their miscellaneous games in the Academy's courtyard.

"This is a traditional commoner's game passed down through the generations." Tamaki told them. "And, aside from this game, there are lots of other commoner's games that you can play. Without spending a dime and with no more equipment than our bodies."

"What does that have to do with our article?"

"Intimacy!" he answered.

'Random funny words.'

"To completely erase the newspaper's negative image and capture your readers, a sense of intimacy must be established! All this is going according to my calculations!" he pointed a finger to them. ""Host Club's Handsome Princes- and Art Director- immersed in commoner's games!""

'At least I was included.' Kiiro wilted.

"Beauty that is sufficient to be splashed on the front page of your special extra edition to go along with the spring scenery! Plus, it's a dream-like project that some commoners would absolutely love!"

Tamaki looked back at Haruhi.

"Why is he looking at me?"

Akira Komitsuzawa walked over to Haruhi, "You're Haruhi Fujioka... right? How did you end up in this club?"

"Because of my carelessness, I had no choice."

"Is that so? Then did you know about the rumor going around that this club was created to show off the influence of Suoh?"

'What?'

"Cut!" the twins yelled, breaking off Akira's interview with Haruhi.

Kiiro saw Kyouya run by her. She went to turn but he had already made his way to Tamaki.

"Cheater!" she called.

"Hey you're not supposed to cut there!"

"Alright next is the color game! Gold!" Tamaki called. Everyone, except Haruhi, tapped their hands to King's head.

"Different color next time." Kiiro smiled.

"Different game this time." Tamaki corrected.

"Hide-and-Seek?" she offered.

"Perfect! Hani-senpai's the 'seeker'!" he declared.

Kiiro ran out into the courtyard's hedge maze. She turned to see if anyone was following her and ran right into someone, she almost fell backward, but was caught, "Ee-!" a hand snaked over her mouth.

"Do you want to get us caught?" Kyouya asked. "Klutz."

He held her upright with one arm, he steadied her letting go of her mouth.

In response, Kiiro whispered, "Black." and poked his head.

He raised an eyebrow, "White." he pulled on the collar of her dress.

"Kyouya, I'm not so sure about this Newspaper Club, I think they're up to something." she declared her suspicions.

He chuckled, "I've got it handled, Kiiro." he took hold of her hand. "Now, be quiet, we're going somewhere else."

She nodded, allowing him to walk ahead of her so her blush wouldn't give him the wrong idea.

'He's holding my hand...' she thought oddly.

* * *

He led her down the numerous hallways until they came to the Newspaper Clubroom. He let her into the room, where the Twins were already waiting.

"...In any event," they could hear Akira down the hallway. "...for tomorrow's front page we need to entrap that basta-" he stopped as he entered the room.

"Ho-hum."

"We knew it."

"Well, it was pretty transparent from the beginning."

"The only one who wasn't suspicious was the president, probably." the Twins said darkly. "That guy is usually so dumb about things that directly affect him." they huffed.

"You bastards!" the opposing club stepped back.

"I'm warning you now, you won't escape unscathed if you even try hurting the president. And, aside from our Hitachiin family, you'll turn all the families from the Host Club into your enemies, you ready for that?"

"I knew it!" Akira shouted. " Using your parents powers! Did Suoh instruct you as such?!" he was outraged.

"No! Tama-chan would never do something like that!" Hani cleared up the matter as everyone else, bar Tamaki and Haruhi, gathered in the room. "You know, we like Tama-chan very much! So we couldn't forgive anyone who would want to hurt him!"

"Exactly, Hani-senpai, just the thought makes me upset." Kiiro grinned, feeling rather dark.

"Well, although he's a bit stupid." the Twins added.

"And, thanks to his personality traits, I receive significant help in increasing my information network." Kyouya began, pulling a disc from his jacket. "So, anyways, now, whatever should we do with this diskette that contains what we recorded of all your scheming from the last few days?"

The Newspaper Club went white.

* * *

The game of Hide-and-Seek later ended with Tamaki and Haruhi the last-and technically the first- ones to be found.

"Where's the Newspaper Club?" Tamaki questioned, looking around.

"They said they had some urgent business to attend to so they had to discontinue their reporting." the Twins covered.

"What?"

"They said they'll only print properly written articles from now on. Then, wouldn't they at least avoid getting shut down?"

"Ah...yeah."

"Kyouya-senpai, is the Suoh family really that great?" Haruhi asked, quietly.

"Well, they're one of the seven greatest elite families in Japan..." he shrugged. "Business-wise, they were traditionally based in the banking industry and had diversified widely. You might have heard of them? The Rio Grande Hotel and the Otto Theater."

"I saw them a lot on TV."

"And, as you know, school management..."

"Ah. Which school?"

Kyouya stopped dead, "Why...Ouran Academy of course."

Haruhi froze, her eyes widened.

"Shouldn't you at least know the Chairman of the school you're attending?" he raised an eyebrow. "Come to think of it, Haruhi, weren't you accepted into this school because of Tamaki's family? You should thank him."

Kiiro chuckled at Haruhi's shocked look, "What's wrong, Haruhi?" she poked her cheek.

As they walked out of Ouran Kiiro smiled, "By the way, Kyouya, that was a very shadowy move you pulled back there." she thought of how he bugged the Newspaper Clubroom. "It was really cool, though."

"You thought it was cool?" he smirked. "Ah, well, I am the cool type." he ran a hand through his hair.

"And there's the ego." she crossed her arms. "Just when I thought you were cool."

He turned to her, grinning, "You're not getting a crush on me, are you?"

Her face reddened, "What are you talking about?" crossing her arms in defiance.

He chuckled, "Nothing at all, Kiiro. Nothing at all..."

* * *

"It's June already?" Kiiro mused aloud as she listened to the rain on the windows and read the results for her midterm exams, "N-no way?" she froze. "F-fourth?"

Now, Kiiro may be smart, but she's never been a number one student. That being said, being ranked fourth wasn't what had shocked her. It was who was second that got to her.

'Kyouya's number one, I expected that but second is Tamaki?!' she slumped. 'Tamaki is smarter than me?!'

* * *

"If it makes you feel any better, he's mostly just book smart." Kyouya said from his spot next to her, reading her mind like always.

"It doesn't make me feel any better..." she stated despondently. "Thank you, though..."

He chuckled from behind his book.

"What?! Haruhi, you didn't make first place?!"

Kiiro straightened up, looking to where the rest of the club stood still.

"Nope..."

"Then I express my condolences." Kyouya, second-year, first place, offered half-heartedly.

"Haruhi, don't give up~!" Hani, third-year, first place, encouraged.

"..." Mori, third-year, second place.

"I'm quite sorry, Haruhi." Kiiro, second-year, fourth place, sympathized.

"Hey?! What's wrong with being third place? You being sarcastic or something?" Hikaru, first-year, fifth place, asked annoyed.

"It's not like good grades mean a person isn't an idiot." Kaoru, first-year, fourth place, explained, also annoyed.

"Case in point, that guy over there!" the pair pointed to Tamaki, who was rummaging through a suit case labeled "King's Personal Items".

"My mechanical pencil is gone!" Tamaki, second-year, second place, screamed, seriously.

"Maybe it went on a trip~?" Hani replied, not seriously.

"Why do you care about being first?" the Twins turned back to Haruhi.

"It's not like you'd be expelled from school..."

"But she will be expelled." Kyouya stated simply. "She must get the top score in her year to keep her scholarship. She'll have to take the make up test to improve her grade. The worst case scenario is that she'll be expelled.

"What kind of scholarship conditions...?" Kiiro huffed in amazement.

"Haruhi! Don't fret! You'll clear the make-up, no problem!" Tamaki shoved his teddy bear at her. "I wanted to give you my mechanical pencil as a good luck charm, but I can't find it! Take this instead!"

"I don't need a good luck charm with a blank stare like that." she turned him down.

"Meanie! That's so mean, Haruhi! You're still peeved that I didn't tell you I was the Chairman's son! You think I kept it from you deliberately! But, it was your fault!"

"Look, I may curse myself for my stupidity, but, to be honest... It doesn't matter much to me."

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?"

"I know why I failed to get First Place. I'll be more careful during the make-up. So... I'm sorry, but I have to take three days off from club until make-up."

"Choose your teacher!" The twins, Tamaki, Hani said, Mori implied it, as they all donned fake glasses.

"I think they're mocking us." Kyouya joked.

"It kind of makes me want to take mine off." she chuckled, removing her rectangular glasses.

Kyouya exchanged his for hers, "Your prescription is slightly weaker than my own."

She put his on, "Slightly? Everything looks like it's giant."

He smirked and took his off of her face, but instead of giving her glasses back to her, he just put them on the table on the opposite side of her. She stood up and walked over to the other side of the couch. Just before she got there, he took them in his hand and held them away from her. She raised her eyebrow at him. He just raised his book to his face. She reached for her glasses. He switched hands.

"Kyouya." she whined. "Please?"

He looked up at her. Then went back to his book. She tried for them again. He switched hands again.

"Pretty please?"

He smirked.

She lowered the book in his hand, "With a cherry on top?" she batted her eyelashes.

He sighed, and placed hers on her face.

"Thank you."

She smiled at him, and for a moment she couldn't look away, he was looking at her, too, she never realized how nice his eyes were. She had never known anyone else with gray eyes. His smirk subsided, and he tilted his head slightly closer to her.

"Hurry up and choose your tutor!" the Hosts pestered Haruhi.

Whatever spell that hung over them broke in that moment. Kiiro jumped back, embarrassed.

Kyouya huffed, "I'll arrange somebody for her!" he said to the rowdy crowd.

'What...was that?' Kiiro wondered. 'For a moment...'

* * *

Day One

The somebody that Kyouya had arranged as Haruhi's tutor was Ayame Jonochi, the vice-president of class 2A. She was a straight forward girl, the type to rely heavily on fact and reason. She simply found no need for things like creativity and poetry. And, from what Kiiro could tell, she didn't like Tamaki at all. Every time he tried to help, whenever he fetched tea or offered to help Haruhi with a problem, Ayame would coldly brush him off. Which only seemed to put him in a deeper depression, seeing as how he had already lost both his favorite mechanical pencil and his teddy bear earlier in the week.

"Some say that rain cleans the air. Some love the rainy season, seeing it as natural poetry for Japan." Ayame said with a dismissing flick of her stick straight hair. "I am aware of that, but, I still don't like it. By the same token, the son of our respectable chairman may be intelligent and popular among girls, he may appear charming to a majority of human beings, yet, there's something about him that I can't help but feel repulsed by." she declared with a huff.

'So...she hates him?'

Tamaki sunk into his corner as Haruhi laughed nervously from the other end of the table, while the rest of the club marveled at how she was able to get all of that out in one breath.

* * *

Day Two

"Mr. Suoh. You were in charge of class yesterday, weren't you?" Ayame asked after class holding up a file. "It looks like you failed to make a proper entry."

"Sorry about that. I'll correct it."

"No, it's fine I've already taken care of it. I'm pointing it out only because I don't want you to repeat the error. Also, be sure to use a ruler, your writing tends to be crooked. This constant rain is already enough of a bother. I don't need something as hideous as this on top of it." she scolded him cold-heartedly.

"Right... Sorry..." Tamaki replied.

"Tamaki-sama! Don't be discouraged! You did a fabulous job with class duty yesterday, Tamaki-sama!" the girls in their class chirped. "To hear you start the class was a dream come true!"

"Many thanks, if it so pleases, everyday I will those words in your ear..." Tamaki said, slipping into Host-mode.

"Please, don't do that." Ayame continued. "You will wind up distracting the person in charge. Besides, who wants more noise?"

"Hey, Kyouya. Is she in a bad mood because of the rain? Or does she hate me? Which is it?"

"Most likely both. Just go back to your seat." Kyouya didn't bother looking up from his book.

"Not yet. You must help me with this flier! I need two-hundred of these before the bell rings today." Tamaki held up a flier with a crayon picture of his missing teddy bear on it.

"Oh, what a splendid design!" Kyouya faked. "If you draw them all yourself, I bet it will attract more attention!"

'Nice lie.'

"Of course leave it to me. Be it one-hundred or two... Two-hundred sounds like a lot. Ah! Kiiro? Help?"

She glared at the flier, not wanting to get drawn into this mess, "You know, I think Kyouya's right!" she clapped her hands. "Anything drawn by the Host King is bound to draw attention."

"Oh! Of course!"

In the end, he never thought to photocopy it.

'How the hell is he second?'

* * *

Day Three

On the third day of Haruhi's tutoring, the Twins found a curly lock in Ayame's hair. Her face reddened and she yelled at Tamaki, saying it was all his fault that she had to straighten her hair everyday, telling him to stop twisting her feelings around, before she ran out of the room.

"What was that about?" Kiiro raised an eyebrow.

"I bet she actually likes Tama-chan a lot~!" Hani guessed as the club looked out at the rain.

"I think I know where Tamaki's bear went." Kyouya mused.

"I have an idea for a June event!" Tamaki announced.

* * *

"An iris festival! How splendid!"

The club was gathered in an indoor garden full of lovely irises in full bloom.

"Yes, I thought that we should celebrate a beautiful flower that blooms during the rainy season." Tamaki cooed. "Here, please join us Miss Ayame."

After a lovely gathering, in which Tamaki apologized to Ayame for originally thinking her hair was naturally straight, Ayame never straightened her hair again.

But...

"Later I did some research." Ayame glared at Tamaki. "I found no scientific explanation for rain to be needed for the beauty of any flower. So don't boast the ability to please women with your words. Do you not think it immature to speak from no basis beyond your own personal opinion? Let's work on sorting out appropriate words for you to use from now on. After all, you can't expect to keep your followers with words as unpersuasive as yours. If you want to call yourself king you have to use language and take action to be proud."

...she was still icy.

In the end Haruhi passed the make up test and all was well.


	10. Karuizawa!

Chapter Ten: Karuizawa

_Blee-deedel-dee!_

'Phone. Wake up, Kiiro, pick up the phone...'

Kiiro weakly reached for her cell phone on the nightstand.

"Grgh?" she answered.

"Now, how on Earth was that supposed to translate to hello?"

"Margot? Sleepy..."

"Come on Frankenstein's monster, stop mumbling and listen to me." her sister ordered.

"Mmmmmm."

"Alona! Wake up!"

"My name's not Alona, it's Kiiro..." she roused a bit.

"Fine then, Kiiro, will you do me a big favor?"

"Sure, why not?" she sat up.

"I have a friend, she's an ascending photographer and she wants somebody new to snap pictures of. Well, I'm busy, and you're closer to her, so I told her you would!" Margot's smile was prevalent in her voice. "Seeing as how we look alike, she accepted!"

"...But it's my vacation..." Kiiro slumped.

"Yes and you aren't busy, she hasn't decided on a place, yet, but it should be somewhere in Japan, okay?" she giggled. "I'll text you her number later!"

"..."

"Alona?"

"Fine...but don't call me Alona."

"Sure, next time you see the family send my love for me, okay?"

"Why don't you ju-"

"Love ya, bye!"

_Click! _

'Six a.m? Why so early?' Kiiro thought as she looked over at the clock on her nightstand. She fell back in bed only to be woken up later by her sister texting her the number of the girl, named Yukari.

Kiiro was in the middle of whining about her wasted vacation to Kyouya when Yukari had texted her to tell her that the location would be Karuizawa.

* * *

It was the first day she had spent in Karuizawa and Kiiro had already gotten bored of the place. As of then, she was wandering the streets looking for something to do. She had been in front of the camera for hours, or so it seemed. The photographer, Yukari, had taken more pictures of her in just that day than anybody had in her entire life, combined. Thirty-four just that morning.

Apparently Yukari had been contracted by a friend that worked in fashion, one who was too cheap to pay for a more experienced photographer and model. So now Kiiro was stuck modeling different types of outfits. She didn't mind the clothes, though. So casual...and they reminded her of what a rock star might wear. Shirts with short slogans in bold, black print. Along with ripped jeans and black tights and then, of course, studded belts and bracelets, a lacy choker here or there in a shot. Dark make-up in ruby reds and glittering blacks. Her hair was always tousled and let down.

'If the Hosts could see me...they'd laugh...hard.'

As if on cue, she heard two familiar laughs from behind her.

'No way...please don't be...'

She turned, and there, behind a white fence, two red-haired identical boys were pointing at her.

"I-Is that Kiiro-senpai?!" Kaoru cracked up.

"We thought you were some poor commoner!" Hikaru wiped the tears from his eyes.

Anger boiled in her gut, "Twins! Stop laughing. Speak. Now. What are you doing here?" she ordered.

"W-we're vacationing here." Kaoru answered, straightening up.

"What are you doing here...?"

"Dressed like that?"

She crossed her arms, "I'm doing a favor for my sister. Her friend wanted somebody to model for her."

"They made you dress like that?" Hikaru surveyed her.

"We don't think the punk style suites you, Kiiro-senpai..." Kaoru pondered.

"Y-yeah?" she pouted. 'I like it...'

"Kir-chan~!"

Kiiro looked behind the brothers, Hani was running up to her.

"Hani-senpai's here, too?" she began to think something was up.

"Yeah, we all are." Kaoru explained.

"Tamaki-senpai thought Haruhi'd been kidnapped." Hikaru added.

"So he drug all of us here to see if she was okay."

"Are you in the contest, too, Kir-chan~?" Hani grinned.

"What contest?"

"For the final room in this pensione, Haruhi's working here." another voice said.

"Hello, Kyouya."

"Hello, Kiiro. I was wondering when we would run into you," he smirked. "Nice look."

"I don't recall telling you I'd be in Karuizawa." she glared at him, 'Something is definitely up...' she sighed. 'At least I won't be bored anymore...'

* * *

"Misuzu-chi, the fence is fixed!" Tamaki told the owner, one of Haruhi's father's friends, a man dressed in a frilly, aproned dress that he had made himself.

'Is that really fixed?' Kiiro thought from where she sat, enjoying her coffee and the relaxing feel of the sweet country-like pensione.

The fence looked horrible. Its new boards were all jagged, crooked and tacked on diagonally.

"The result of your work isn't refreshing at all!" Misuzu scolded him.

The Twins were brushing dust everywhere with the broom, "You're just scattering the dust!"

Hani went up to Misuzu with a bundle of flowers, "That's cute but.."

"They're so desperate to be refreshing that they're neglecting the work..." Haruhi, in a cute homemade apron, frowned.

"Well, they've never worked a day in their lives," Kyouya explained from his seat at the table on the patio. "So, Haruhi, Kiiro, who do you think will win? Wanna wager?"

"No thanks. I have no clue." Haruhi shrugged.

Kiiro thought, "Well, I know better than to bet against you, but the Twins have the best chance at it."

"Really?" Kyouya challenged. "A quick look would tell you that Hani-senpai is visually out. Tamaki could win if he shuts up, but we all know the likelihood of that happening. Hikaru and Kaoru could win this, but..."

He gestured to where Mori stood, chopping wood.

"...there's this great dark horse."

"So, Mori will..."

"But if Hani drops out, I'm guessing Mori will do the same. That means the Twins will win." his glasses gleamed, "Which is too boring."

Kiiro smiled triumphantly but, Kyouya turned to her, "There are many ways to make the game more exciting, right?" he flashed his scheming smile.

"Wanna bet?" Kiiro dared.

"If I win you become my slave for a month." Kyouya announced, a dark look in his eye.

"If I win I get to stay at your vacation home here." she countered. "I hate hotels."

He smirked, "Deal."

* * *

Tamaki was running around with his dog, Antoinette, in the yard. The two fit the archetypal "boy and his dog" trope quite well.

'Which is refreshing.'

And then the dog toppled Tamaki and made it too much.

"That dog..."

"I had her sent here to help him win some refresher points, but I guess it didn't work." Kyouya sighed.

"Hey, Antoinette, don't be naughty." Hikaru commanded.

"Come over here, I have a treat for you." Kaoru beckoned.

"Good, plus ten refresher points!" Misuzu announced, twirling in his dress.

Kiiro smiled at Kyouya smugly, earning his glare.

As she went to sit down, she heard beautiful piano music.

'Dammit.' she cursed. 'With Tamaki playing piano...'

"What will I ever do with you..." Kyouya returned the smug smile she had given him moments ago, sitting next to her. "...for a whole month?"

Her stomach flipped, "I knew better than to gamble with you..." she whined. "I didn't even know this place had a piano!"

"Extra club work? Cleaning duties?" Kyouya thought aloud. "Or something darker?" he whispered.

A shiver went down her spine, blood rushed to her cheeks.

He chuckled, "What's wrong, Kiiro?"

She was about to yell at him when a loud crashing noise filled her ears.

"What was that?"

"Kaoru! Haruhi!"

Kiiro looked over to where Hikaru's voice had come from, seeing Kaoru bent over Haruhi. There was a broken window on the ground, from the second floor.

"It's only a little cut..." Kaoru explained as Hikaru rushed to his side, pointing to the scratch on his cheek. "Nothing else... Hikaru?"

"Don't scare me like that..."

"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm all right."

They had drawn a crowd, Misuzu was among them. Kiiro noticed the act, and turned to Kyouya just as Misuzu announced, "Refreshing brotherly love! Cheers! One-hundred refresher points! The winners are the Hitachiin Brothers!"

Tamaki's notes fell flat.

Kiiro smiled, "Gotcha."

* * *

"Do you have everything packed?" Kyouya asked bluntly, still sore from losing.

"Uh huh!" Kiiro chirped, getting into his family car. "Thank you, Kyouya."

He eyed her, "You're welcome."

"Oh! By the way, don't you think it's odd how we both ended up in Karuizawa for this vacation?" she asked.

"Not at all." he shrugged. "Considering I emailed your photographer the best pictures of Karuizawa I could find."

"W-wait, what do you mean?" she stammered.

"I knew we would end up here and decided that I shouldn't have to be here on my own surrounded by those idiots..." he concluded.

"Kyouya!" she gaped. "That's like the shadowiest move you could have made!"

He pushed up his glasses, catching the glare from the street lights, "My nickname is well earned, Kiiro."

'Shadow King...' she simmered. "Ah, well, I suppose it works out for me anyhow. This way, I don't have to sleep in some hotel."

"What's wrong with hotels?" Kyouya raised an eyebrow. "You were staying at a rather high-ended one."

"Uhm, I guess..." she wondered. "I guess I just don't like being unfamiliar with a place..."

"Hn." he rested his head in his palm. "Then what makes you think you'll be more familiar with my vacation home?"

"...Well..." she turned to him. "You'll be there, Kyouya." she smiled.

"Hm." he watched her for a moment, eyes hidden from view, he placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair.

"Hey!" she protested, pushing his hand off. "Don't treat me like a kid!"

"Why not? You're about the size of one." he smirked, teasing her.

"Kyouya!"

* * *

"Eh, Kyouya, why is your vacation home exactly like your actual house?" Kiiro asked as she hopped up the front steps.

"What do you mean, Kiiro?"

The place was just as modern and minimal as his other home, done up in strict whites and blacks and very sparsely decorated. Tall windows, straight hallways, and no frills.

"Well, your house in Tokyo is all minimalist and not an ounce of spontaneity." she told him. "This place is very much the same."

"Do you have a problem with the way my family decorates?" he asked, dropping one of her bags to the floor.

"N-no, it's just, when my family buys a house somewhere," she thought of all of her vacation homes. "We tend to decorate it with where we are in mind." she held up a finger, "The one in Tokyo is a perfect example, it has traditional rooms inside, and there's a garden in the center with a wrap around porch!" she exclaimed.

"Maybe it's your family that's the odd bunch." he chuckled. "Anyway, I'll show you to your room," he began to walk down a hallway. "It's getting late, and Tamaki will want to check on Haruhi early tomorrow especially now that the Twins will be staying at the pensione."

"Yeah," Kiiro sighed. "And I have an appointment with Yukari in the morning, too..."

* * *

'God! This is so boring!' Kiiro sighed as she posed for another picture.

"Kiiro! Don't slouch!" Yukari growled.

Kiiro obeyed, straightening up. She could see why she and Margot were friends. The two of them were so bossy.

The clothes that day weren't at all like those from yesterday. This time it was a white, short-sleeved shirt with the brand emblazoned on the breast pocket and a pink and red plaid mini-skirt. She wore black tights and brown loafers. Her hair was in a ponytail and Yukari had applied only neutral make-up today.

'I feel like I'm in middle school again.' Kiiro dipped her hand into the pond Yukari made her stare into. 'Then again, that may be the point...'

* * *

'The Twins better not laugh at me...' she thought as she made her way to the pensione.

When she arrived, she found all of the Hosts, bar Hikaru and Kaoru, chatting with an unfamiliar boy. He was about their age and apparently he was a friend of Haruhi's from middle school, his name was Arai.

""Bright, but shy, rather normal and on a basketball or soccer team."" Kaoru judged, both he and his brother seemed extra standoffish around the newcomer. "In real life he's probably a hit with the girls but in manga he would be the archetypal sidekick, that's about the sum of it."

"You're right! I'm on a soccer team." Arai commented. "How did you know?" he completely ignored how rude the tone of the comment was.

"Are you guys trying to pick a fight or what?" Kyouya asked.

"Oh, nothing." they said in unison.

Kiiro was kind of lost after that, her mind wandered to the twins, 'I want to tell them to be nice but Hikaru might get worse.' She sighed and Kyouya gave her a look that told her that he knew what Hikaru and Kaoru were doing but it was best to leave them alone.

"...He's obviously attracted to Haruhi." Hikaru said accusingly, his face scrunched up as if he had smelled something rotten. "It's so obvious that it's annoying."

"Hikaru! You're the one who's being annoying!" Haruhi scolded.

"It's okay, Haruhi, it's true. I was attracted to you but, you rejected me a year ago." Arai said simply, not taking any offense at all.

Hani, Tamaki and Haruhi all looked surprised.

"Why are you shocked too?"

Haruhi stammered.

'I bet she didn't even know she rejected him.'

"Haruhi, you broke that pure boy's frail heart with your complete insensitivity." Kyouya accused, sounding a bit like the 'bad cop' in an interrogation.

Kiiro gave him a funny look.

"I'm so sorry." Haruhi bowed.

"It's all right. I got over it." he smiled. "The fact that you didn't get it meant that you weren't interested. That's all. But you had a quiet and unfathomable quality. And the way you looked straight into the eyes of whoever you're talking to... I really liked that about you."

"You were so sincere about my daughter!" Tamaki grabbed his hand, deeply moved. "Rest assured, your bravery will never be forgotten."

The club seemed quite taken with him, excluding Hikaru. "You went to Kyoto for a middle school trip? Isn't it weird staying in the country~?"

"No, it's typical."

"Hmm! I love Kyoto, isn't that right, Kyouya?"

"Yeah, you once dragged me out there to explore every single temple."

Kiiro laughed.

"You think it's funny?"

"Yeah." she earned his glare. "Uh, it was... just the way you said it."

"Hikaru! Kaoru! Come over here! It's a precious opportunity to hear about Haruhi in middle school."

"Not interested. It's dumb anyway." Hikaru retorted. "I don't get it, why do all these old stories excite you so much? Besides, can't that guy tell we don't care about him at all?"

'Hikaru?'

"Haruhi's heart has no room for him!"

_Thwack!_

Haruhi stomped over to him and slapped him in short order, "That's not something you decide! And I won't let you insult my friend any further!"

Hikaru was stunned before his face lit up with anger, "Come on... Who cares about other people?! We're the ones who are your friends!"

"Hikaru wait!" Kaoru shouted as Hikaru ran upstairs.

Kiiro sighed.

"Their world is still... very small."

* * *

"Well, goodbye."

"Please come visit again." King smiled as Arai made to leave.

"Arai, I'm sorry about-" Haruhi bowed.

"It's okay." he cut her off. "I guess I did something wrong. Will you apologize to Hikaru for me?"

"No need to apologize..." Hikaru came out, looking ashamed. "It was my fault, I'm sorry..."

"It's okay." Arai grinned. "Goodbye, everyone."

"Take care."

"Bye bye~!"

As they watched him ride off on his bike, Haruhi turned to the singular Twin, "Kaoru? Why are you pretending to be Hikaru?" she asked darkly. "And where's that cut on your cheek?"

"Just some quick make-up!" he smiled, having been found out. "Hikaru has yet to recover his spirit. Ouch!" he yelped as Haruhi rubbed his cut cheek. "By the way, I want to ask you a favor, Haruhi."

"Hm?"

"Will you go on a date with me tomorrow?"

The entirety of the club nearly died in that moment.

* * *

Later, over lunch, or breakfast in Kiiro's case, she and Kyouya were discussing important club matters.

"So, what do you think about this date thing, Kyouya?" she questioned. "I wonder what Kaoru's trying to pull coming up with that, I thought King was going to rip his head off."

Kyouya smirked, "Doubtless it has something to do with his brother. Kaoru has always been the more mature of the two."

"And the craftier one..." Kiiro slumped. "Truth be told, I didn't think it would be him to ask her out first..."

"First?"

She looked up from her pasta, "Yes, first, I know you've noticed it in Tamaki, it's too obvious for you to overlook."

"Ah, that, well..." he shrugged. "You know how he is..."

"Oblivious?" Kiiro grinned.

"Speaking of..." he began.

She waited for him to finish speaking, but he never continued, "What did you mean, Kyouya?"

"Hm?" his glasses glared. "Oh, never mind. What sort of pictures did you take today, Kiiro? You look like a school girl. Not that I'm complaining."

She reddened, "I-It's not like that!" she protested. "I didn't have time to change afterward!"

* * *

"This isn't going to end well." Kiiro sighed.

"I agree." Kyouya added.

Hikaru and Haruhi were on a date. Kaoru was supposed to be with her but he was "sick". So now the rest of the Host Club was tailing them.

'At least this time we're well disguised.'

Kiiro's hair was pulled up under a scarf and she had sunglasses on. Her dress was a common floral thing that made her look completely different. She guessed that she was supposed to be a tourist like Kyouya and Hani, who was dressed like a little girl.

"I'm asking you why Haruhi has to date Hikaru!" Tamaki yelled at Kaoru. "Why does this have to take place after what happened yesterday?"

"This might be Haruhi's first date ever~!"

"You're dead Kaoru! And also because..."

'Haruhi looks adorable.' Kiiro smiled at the girl from afar, she had a cute, blue dress on and her hair was up in little pigtails.

"It's not fair. Not fair." Tamaki whined.

"Not fair~!" Hani cheered.

They all fled behind a corner before Haruhi and Hikaru turned toward them.

"Look, Tono, I think..." Kaoru began. "It's a good thing for Hikaru to find other people who matter to him. For a long time we were concerned only with ourselves. We're exceptionally codependent and tend to shut everyone else out. We've never cared how others felt, and that's how we became how we are today. Hikaru is especially immature. He acts out his feelings without restraint." he sighed. "Tono, you didn't seem to mind it, so I let him be. I don't think Hikaru is conscious of it, but he cares about Haruhi a lot. But all he knows is how to throw his feelings at others so he ends up acting like a possessive child. Even when he wants recognition as a friend, he doesn't know how to go about it. If he wants to be a true friend, he's got to respect the feelings of others too. So, I think Hikaru has to learn the basics of personal interaction."

"So sincere." Kiiro awed. 'Kaoru...'

"Kaoru..." Tamaki mirrored. "You're awesome."

"The thing is, I didn't realize any of this myself until recently."

"In other words," Kyouya concluded. "Today's date is meant as a trial for Hikaru to learn some compassion."

"It's like a fantasy movie~!"

"That's right! That's why I don't want you to interfere! If you do you're dead!"

"If that's the case then we don't have to follow them do we?"

"It's more fun this way."

"So, you're still selfish that way." Tamaki groaned.

* * *

"Tamaki, what's wrong?" Kyouya asked as he caught sight of the blond staring up into the sky for the umpteenth time.

"Nothing, I was just hoping that the sun would stay with us." he mused.

As of yet, the pair sat on a bench, not doing anything at all. Hikaru appeared tense and bored.

'Hikaru's already snapping...'

"What kind of a date is this?" Tamaki wailed.

'And so is Tamaki...'

"There's no trace of chivalry here! Swap places with me Hikaru! I'll escort Haruhi for you!" he continued to throw a fit.

"That will ruin everything, Tono!"

"Then, Kyouya, you go after Haruhi as a lowlife! We'll have Hikaru save her!"

"Sleeptalk when you're asleep." Kyouya pushed him away. "But they do need something to defuse the tension a bit."

"Ice cream~! Get your ice cream here~!" Hani had slipped away and dressed as an ice cream vendor, he pushed a cart toward the pair.

'Where'd he get that cart?'

Mori grabbed Hani and ran.

Haruhi did however get ice cream at a separate shop. she was about to share a cone with Hikaru. Tamaki, also dressed as a vendor, quickly gave Haruhi another so they wouldn't have to share. Kaoru grabbed King, "Why did you have to do that when things were going so well?"

"I don't want her to share food as if they're a real couple!"

"Too bad Kaoru couldn't come..." Hikaru thought aloud.

"Brother! I'm here!" Kaoru cried.

"Calm down Kaoru don't lose it now!"

"Kao-chan have some ice cream!"

* * *

They decided to take a break from all their stalking.

Kyouya pulled Kiiro over to a shaved ice stand, "Snow cones?" she questioned.

"Kakigori." he answered, "Which flavor do you want?"

"Cherry, please!" she smiled sweetly.

"And one blackberry." he told the vendor.

They sat down not too far away from where the rest of the club warily still watched Haruhi and Hikaru.

"So, what do you think?" Kiiro asked with a smile on her face.

"I think Tamaki is about to explode..." Kyouya shrugged, dipping his spoon into her shaved ice.

"Hey..." she protested, sticking her red-dyed tongue out.

He responded by mirroring her, sticking out his purple tongue, "It's vacation, so no whining. Try some of mine." he offered her his spoon.

She hesitated.

"I promise I don't have cooties." he smirked, rolling his eyes.

She accepted the bite, "It tastes exactly like blackberries." she reflected. "Maybe it's some commoner magic?" she smiled.

"More likely it's just sugar and flavorings." Kyouya responded flatly.

* * *

After their short break they followed the pair as they made their way across town, visiting shops and stands. They seemed to be having a lot of fun.

"While we weren't working everything turned out okay."

"I'm not positive that Hikaru is actually escorting her."

"Ice cream is relaxing and clears the air~."

"Let's go home. It would ruin it if they were to discover us now." Kaoru said. "And there's also that guy who shouldn't be here any longer."

Tamaki stood stalking the pair from behind a pillar.

* * *

Back at the pensione, King was pacing, Hikaru and Haruhi still hadn't returned and it was storming outside.

"You okay, Tamaki?" Kiiro asked, becoming anxious from his pacing.

"Yes, you seem nervous." Misuzu added.

_Beep! Beep! _Kaoru answered his phone, "It's Hikaru. Hey, Hikaru...Are you coming home on foot?...What about Haruhi?...What?...You got in a fight and left?!" his eyes widened.

Tamaki leapt over, snatching the phone from Kaoru, "Hikaru! Did you see Haruhi get in a car?! If not go back! Go back and find Haruhi!...You jerk! Go back and find Haruhi right now!" he ordered.

'What's going on?'

"How dare you leave a girl behind in the rain! Before you throw a fit like some jealous brat, think about how others might feel! Haruhi is afraid of thunder!" he snapped the phone shut in sheer anger.

Kaoru frantically called Arai Grocery and then Hikaru, "I called Arai Grocery and they said she followed you! If you stay on the same road you should bump into her!"

After anxiously waiting out the rain, the group went out and found Haruhi and Hikaru in a church, having taken shelter from the rain there. Haruhi was asleep at the time, thankfully she had Hikaru's headphones on to block out the noise of the thunder. Tamaki was so worried about her that he insisted on carrying her.

As the rest walked ahead of them, Kiiro looked to Kyouya, who in turn looked to Kaoru.

"By the way, Kaoru, you meant for Hikaru to learn some compassion on that date. Did you think about the possibility that he might fall in love?"

Kaoru turned away, watching everyone else, "Oh that...that won't happen yet. After all, Hikaru is still an idiot."

"Well, he's lucky..." Kyouya followed his gaze. "...because this club is full of idiots."

Kiiro chuckled, "That's for sure."

* * *

"Awww. I can't believe summer's almost over." Kiiro whined when she got back home. "I'm never doing another favor for Margot again."

_Blee-dal-dee!_

She opened her phone. On the screen was one of the photos Yukari had taken. One of the ones Kiiro regretted the most. With short shorts on and a cropped t-shirt that barely covered her bra. Her lips painted ruby red, and her hair falling in front of her eyes.

"Is this you?" -K.O.

"Yes", she texted back.

_Blee-dal-dee!_

"I'm keeping it." -K.O.


	11. Kirimi and the Festival (Part One)

Chapter Eleven: Kirimi and the Festival (Part One)

The season was surprisingly not Spring now, but Fall. Which was already proving itself to be tiresome.

Kiiro sat quietly in her unseen corner, wondering exactly why Tamaki had requested a day where they all dressed in "policeman attire", Tamaki dressed in white with gold fringe, Haruhi and Hani in standard, light blue, the Twins in matching dark blue and Kyouya and Mori wore black uniforms. 'He really needs to lay off the late night crime shows...' Currently, there were no guests to woo with their "man in uniform" act.

Suddenly, their door was opened, "Oh? What an unusual...guest." Tamaki cooed. "Welcome my dear, lost kitten."

Kiiro turned her attention to the tiny guest. A toddler, wearing the Ouran Preschool uniform, with her light blonde hair in two, long pigtails and large blue eyes. She gaped at the policemen before her.

"She's so cute..." Kiiro fawned. "But, what is she doing here?"

"It's a reverse harem!" the little girl cheered.

"What...?"

The boys laughed it off, "Oh dear, there must still be some pool water in my ears." Tamaki tapped the side of his ears.

"Don't be silly, Inspector General. She's not Renge, a little girl like her could never utter an adult word like "harem"." the Twins shared his disbelief.

"Debauchery!" the girl cheered again. "There's debauchery here!" she jumped up and down.

"What the?"

"Megane!" she pointed to Kyouya.

"Lolita!" Hani.

"Stoic!" Mori.

"Nerd!" Haruhi.

"Incest!" the Twins.

She pointed to Tamaki, and stopped, her eyes widened and her smile began to droop, "Brother?" she asked. "Big brother!" her smile returned as she leapt into Tamaki's arms.

The club's confusion was collective, "No way! You never told us you had a sister in preschool, Tono!" the Twins yelled.

"I'm definitely an only child!" he cried, holding the girl at an arm's length.

"You do look alike~!" Hani observed.

"Ah, I think it's just the hair, Hani-senpai..." Kiiro analyzed.

"Do both "Megane" and "Brother" belong in the same category?" Kyouya pondered, ignoring the problem at hand.

"It's not too bad is it? I got "Nerd"." Haruhi slouched.

"What's your name, little girl?" King asked.

She grinned, eyes closed, "Kirimi. I'm three!" she held up three fingers.

"Kirimi...I think you're somehow mistaken." he told her. "You see, I don't have any little sisters..."

Her expression fell, "You mean you're not my big brother?" her eyes filled with tears.

Unable to watch her cry, Tamaki caved, "I am as of today!" he hugged her close, spinning around with her in his arms, they did sort of look like family.

Haruhi shook her head, "I know you feel sorry for her, but don't speak so rashly to a child, senpai..."

"Right, she's not a puppy..." Kiiro agreed.

"What should we do, Kyouya-senpai?"

"Her real brother might be in this school."

Hani bounced on his heels, "She confused Tama-chan with someone else~?"

The Twins were deep in thought, "There's no one in this school that looks like Tono..."

"No one has his foreign flair...", they concluded.

"Kirimi..." an eery voice called out, a chill descended over the room, Kiiro whipped around to see Nekozawa shuffling into the room, "Kirimi..." he chanted.

Both King and Kirimi screamed in terror.

The rest of the club, not phased, understood what was happening, "Come to think of it, he is blond under that dark wig."

"Yeah~! And he does look like Kirimi~!"

"But..."

Kiiro watched as, when Nekozawa got closer to Kirimi, she fidgeted and tried to escape.

"Kiri-"

"Weeeaaagghh!" she cried, hysterical.

"It looks as though she really hates him."

"It's your outfit, take it off!" the Twins insisted, pulling the cloak from the senior's body.

"GYAAAHHH! Murderers!" Umehito screeched and pulled away as they attempted to expose him to the light.

"Let's make the room darker, then!" the Twins began to close the curtains.

Kirimi began to wail again.

"She's still afraid of the dark?" they huffed, exasperated, it was apparent that there was no pleasing these two.

"Too much light means death for Master Umehito." a woman's voice stated.

"And our little princess hates the dark." a baritone explained.

"The opposite natures are at the root of their tragic story... That's why their called the "Romeo and Juliet" of the Nekozawa family."

In the doorway stood two servants of the Nekozawa family, Kuretake a maid who looked an awful lot like a witch, and Kadomatsu, a valet who resembled Frankenstein's monster quite closely.

'Even their servants are scary...' Kiiro puzzled. 'I think Kirimi might be the only normal one of this bunch...'

"But, Romeo and Juliet weren't siblings and their situation was quite different..." Haruhi explained flatly.

"I know," Kuretake beamed. "But when I thought up the phrase it was so catchy that I had to use it."

"Incidentally," Kadomatsu bowed. "We are charged with escorting Miss Kirimi home."

"The Nekozawa Family ancestors are of the Russian Tokarev Dynasty." Kuretake began to say.

"Tokarev?" Kiiro wondered aloud. "Do you mean Romanov?"

"There is a legend that once every several hundred years," she went on. "...someone like Master Umehito- one who is charmed by darkness- is born, or that legend might not be true."

"Is it or isn't it?"

"What a freakish explanation..."

"Due to his physical condition, master cannot approach his sister without his costume." Kadomatsu told them.

"Every time she screams..."

"However, Miss Kirimi has dreamed of meeting her big brother, whom she only knows by his princely portrait at the manor. Ever since she learned her brother attended this school, she comes over now and again in search of him. The thing is, every night I've been assuaging her fears with princely tales." Kuretake, held her hands to her cheeks. "Eventually I ran out of fairy tales and began to read her shoujo manga, especially those which feature princely characters. And, I'm afraid she's become totally addicted!" she grinned like a cat.

"Doesn't Sashimi know you're her brother?" Haruhi asked of a downtrodden Umehito.

"Her name's Creamy." the Twins corrected incorrectly.

"No, it's Kirimi..." Nekozawa moved Beelzeneff as he spoke.

"No matter how often I tell her," Kuretake slumped, "...she refuses to believe me."

"That's so sad for Nekozawa..." Hani's eyes watered.

"That's why..." Umehito piped up. "I pray every night that she might learn to love...the darkness!" he knelt at an altar, voice shifting to extreme spookiness with each word.

"What the?" Kiiro sweatdropped.

"Nah, you got it backwards." Hikaru patronized.

"You should adapt to the light." Kaoru criticized.

"Miss Kirimi, let's go home." her servants suggested.

"No!" she cried. "I want to stay with brother!" she clung to Tamaki. "I like being with brother!"

Nekozawa looked heartbroken.

"Poor guy..."

"P-please..." Umehito began to cry. "Please treat Kirimi well for me!" he fled the room in despair.

"Come to think of it..." Kyouya spoke up. "Nekozawa-senpai always did take an interest in Tamaki for some reason. Maybe he idolizes you because you are his sister's ideal image of a brother." he told Tamaki.

King sprung to action, unable to resist assisting someone in need, "Mori-senpai, please secure Nekozawa-senpai!" he ordered, hand making a check mark figure beside his face in his trademarked pose.

"There he goes, into "helping hand mode"." Kiiro shrugged with a smile.

Mori charged after Umehito.

"Hikaru, Kaoru! Darken the room as much as possible! Hani-senpai! Get the indirect lighting and some candles! Kyouya! Cancel all customer engagements! Haruhi, Kiiro! ...look after Kirimi." he decided, placing the little girl in Kiiro's hands.

"Brother?" she questioned.

"I'm sorry, Kirimi, I'm not your brother." he explained sadly, and when she started to tear up in response he quickly added, "I'm-I mean-! We're not your brothers, we're the police!" he announced, and the club posed dynamically.

Kirimi looked on in awe.

Mori entered the room with a distressed looking Nekozawa.

"Our mission is to rescue students in distress! It's a huge problem if mutually affectionate siblings can't be near each other! Nekozawa-senpai, you'll be acclimated to the light, one step at a time!" he declared pointing to his fearful senior with determination written all over his face. "And, simultaneously, under my tutelage, you will cultivate yourself to become Kirimi's favorite princely character!"

* * *

""Sosuke..." said Kazumi. "Kazumi..." said Sosuke. They looked each to each other with joy in their eyes..." Kiiro read aloud to the restless toddler in her lap. "See?" she turned the manga to Kirimi so she could look at the picture. "Their lips met in a passionate kiss. The End." she narrated.

Kirimi began to giggle, "Read more! Read more!" she bounced impatiently.

"That's seven volumes already..." Kiiro sighed, but, looking at Kirimi's expectant expression, she asked, "Okay? What should we read next? My Flower? Sweet Rose? Pretty Love?" she read off the titles.

Haruhi huffed, "I can't take anymore..." she stood. "I'm going to get someone else to do this job..." she marched toward the hallway.

For the past couple of hours, Kiiro and Haruhi had been reading shoujo manga to Kirimi, tirelessly trying to appease her, and it was a bit sickening.

"Read "Pretty Love"!" Kirimi pleaded.

"Alright, Pretty Love it is..." she cracked open the volume.

A bit later she heard footsteps over her reading, it appeared that Haruhi had gotten someone else to switch places with her. Kiiro looked up, "Kyouya?" she raised an eyebrow, not who she was expecting to see.

"Megane!" Kirimi announced.

"I decided not to leave you here alone..." he stated.

"How gracious of you." she chuckled.

He took a seat next to her, looking over her shoulder at the manga.

""Himawari-chan, for-"" Kiiro continued.

"Wait!" Kirimi cried.

"What is it?" Kiiro tilted her head to the girl in her lap.

"Will Mr. Megane read the boy words?" she asked sweetly.

Kiiro held back a fit of giggles as she imagined Kyouya reading shoujo manga, "N-no, sweetie, Mr. Megane probably wouldn-"

""Himawari-chan, for a while now..."" Kyouya began, in his Host voice of course. ""...for a while now, I've liked you.""

Kiiro was stunned for a moment, she didn't know whether to laugh or to be terrified that the Shadow King was reading shoujo manga.

"Your turn, Kiiro." he smirked.

"R-right." she turned her attention back to the manga. ""W-what do you mean, Watanuki-kun?" she asked, blush forming on her cheeks."

""Ever since we were little kids, I thought you were special." he told her. "There's just something about you that I really like. I don't really know he to explain it...""

""Wata-?""

""You're soft spoken and shy...you keep to yourself...but you can be really sweet...""

""Watanuki-kun..."

""And, you've always been there for me, you've always understood me...""

""Watanuki...""

""That's why... I love you, Himawari-chan and I hope-""

""Watanuki-kun, I love you, too."" Kiiro read, so embarrassed that her face began to change color.

"They lean forward, lips meeting in a kiss." he narrated, sounding not at all ashamed like Kiiro was.

"The End." Kiiro looked down to Kirimi, a grin spread across her face.

"More! More!" she hopped.

"Al-"

"Mistress Kirimi!" Kuretake called, entering the room with Kadomatsu in tow. "It's time to head home, Mistress Kirimi."

Kiiro stood, handing the toddler to her maid.

"Thank you for watching her." Kadomatsu bowed.

"It's no trouble." Kiiro smiled.

"But I want to hear more stories!" Kirimi protested. "I want Megane and Meganeko to read more stories!" she fidgeted.

"I'll read more to you when you come back tomorrow, okay, Kirimi?" Kiiro grinned, wondering why she had only just now recieved the nickname, 'Meganeko'.

Kirimi grinned back, "Okay!" she giggled.

When the Nekozawas left, Kyouya turned to Kiiro, "Not a word." he warned her.

"I understand." Kiiro said nervously, not wanting to even imagine what kind of penalties would follow telling anyone about what had happened. "To be honest I didn't think you would even be capable of reading that trash..."

"As a Host it is my duty to keep our guests happy." he said haughtily. "...And besides, it entertains me when your face gets red."

She stammered, "H-hey! That wasn't because I was embarrassed!" she argued. "I just- It was- Fall weather! Now that it's Fall, it's getting colder and all..." she explained.

"Sure, sure." he waved her off. "Whatever you say, Kiiro."

* * *

"Where's my big brother?" Kirimi asked of Kiiro the next day, after three volumes of romance manga.

"He's helping a friend."

"Can I go see him?"

"Not yet."

Kirimi crawled out of Kiiro's grip anyway and ran into the room where Haruhi had just left for.

"Kirimi wait it's...!" she chased after the energetic toddler.

'Dark.' she thought, looking into the dark room where the Hosts and Nekozawa "trained".

Kiiro stopped at the black threshold as Kirimi cried for Tamaki.

"S-sorry, sh-she was too fast for me..." Kiiro caught her breath, careful to stay in the lit hallway.

Tamaki picked Kirimi up, "Look it's not scary at all, right?"

"What's the matter, Kiiro-senpai?" Hikaru asked.

"Afraid of the dark?" Kaoru finished.

Their eyes gleamed devilishly in the blackness.

Kyouya upped the lighting, motioning for her.

"No." Kiiro walked in.

* * *

"Oh joy, I've finally made all of these beautiful, young men my love slaves." Haruhi read flatly, looking displeased with the toddler's taste in manga. She sighed as Kirimi bounced up and down on Kiiro's lap happily, "Read more, nerd!"

"What's taking them so long?" Haruhi ignored the excited child. "They're usually done for the day by now..."

"You mean big brother?" Kirimi remembered what was going on in the other room and shot off in that direction before Kiiro could grab hold of her.

"Kirimi! Stop that!" Kiiro ran after her, Haruhi tailing behind.

But as they were approaching the door, they heard Kirimi's all-too-familiar shrieking as she ran past them, sprinting in the opposite direction.

"Wait!" Kiiro had to stop and catch her breath, "I really need to work on my cardio..." she huffed.

"Kirimi!" Umehito called after her, his face betraying his despair as his little sister ran off, he held a flashlight beneath his face. An impressive feat for him, but a very scary look. No doubt that that was why Kirimi had high-tailed it.

"Nekozawa-senpai!" Tamaki called as the senior wavered and fainted. Thudding to the ground.

"Should I?" Kiiro gestured from the door toward the hallway Kirimi had ran down.

Kyouya shook his head, "She should be fine."

Tamaki glared at Nekozawa as he sat back up, "The person that girl really wants to be with is you!" he crossed his arms. "If you care about your sister, don't give up even if it kills you!"

"Ah, Tono, she ran out into the courtyard." the Twins watched Kirimi from the window. "Is that a cat? As you'd expect from a cat-loving family, that stray cat is totally taken with her."

Nekozawa reanimated, he jumped to the window, "It's not like that! Yes, the Nekozawa family has worshiped cat idols for generations but, Kirimi is afraid of animals! And cats, they're the creatures that scare her most of all!" he took off, running down the hallway past Kiiro.

"Nekozawa-senpai, your robe!" the club followed.

"Kirimi! Kirimi!" Nekozawa called, without his cloak or wig on, he stood in the sun.

"Big brother!" the girl turned to him, and on seeing the prince from the portrait at home, her eyes lit up.

He knelt before her, holding her close.

'Dramatic reunion.'

"Nekozawa~! You did it~! He's okay even in the daylight~!"

"Don't be scared. Don't be scared." he told her, gesturing with Beelzeneff. "This is Beelzeneff, with his power he will curse all bad cats..." he slumped and fell backwards.

"Well, at least he tried..."

After this incident in the sun, Nekozawa stuck to the shadows just like he did before, but, somehow, he seemed happier. As though he and Kirimi were able to see each other more.

* * *

Kiiro's stomach flipped as she realized what her cards meant, especially versus Kyouya's winning hand. She worried about her chances of surviving the next two weeks.

"Rich man!" the Twins laughed.

"Noble man~!" Hani cheered.

"Every man." Mori stated.

"Poor man..." Tamaki and Kiiro hung their heads.

"Destitute!" Haruhi squeaked, looking stricken.

'Gah! How could I have lost to those two?' she glanced to the laughing red-heads. 'And, worse, to him?' she looked to Kyouya, who grinned at her, having won the title "stinking rich" in the game.

"Come on, Haruhi, when we agree to play by common folks' rules you could at least try to win..." Hikaru criticized.

"Yeah, what's the point in advertising our social standing?" Kaoru shrugged.

"I've never been that into cards." she sighed. "So, I've never even played this before."

"Haru-chan, does that mean...?" Hani and Mori pushed the Twins aside.

"Haruhi! Here is my deck of cards! No one is watching!" King offered, producing a deck of cards decorated with crowns.

"I can easily afford that! Don't mock me, (censored)." she grumbled.

Tamaki proceeded to cry in his corner.

"Hey!" Kyouya clapped his hands, "You rabble, quiet down!" he ordered, putting on a "stinking rich" grin. "So, for the next two weeks, Haruhi is to be my slave?" he asked, glasses glinting.

Haruhi cringed, "Two weeks?! That's too long! Nobody told me about that!" she protested. "I have to help with the school festival!"

"Kyouya, she's right!" Tamaki straightened up, holding his arms out in front of Haruhi. "Before you go picking on Haruhi you must get past me!" he challenged.

"Shut up. Poor men are my slaves, too."

Kiiro slumped.

"Incidentally, what is Class 1A doing for the school festival?"

"Agence de Detectives Prives!" the Twins announced. "We'll have mysteries for our customers to solve! There will be perpetrators for them to apprehend! Dispossessed possessions to descry and fancy prizes!"

"We'll provide a range of costumes!" Kaoru flashed the designs. "Our customers will experience the life of a real detective!"

"That sounds like fun~!"

"Yeah, that's why I'm busy right now." Haruhi sighed. "I'm thinking up the cases and suspects."

"Ah, what perfect timing." Kyouya held up a joker card. "Haruhi and Tamaki, you will aid me in finding the true culprit, agreed?"

"What are you talking about, Kyouya-senpai?"

"We'll discuss that later on."

Kiiro hoped he would forget her.

"Not likely." he read her mind. "You have a different job yo do."

* * *

In some ways Ouran was no different from ordinary public schools in Japan, once a year they too had a cultural festival. Where students prepared a variety of events and shows to entertain their visiting family and friends. The only real difference was...how much money they spent. Of course, this was all so the students could impress their parents, showing off their leadership and business skills was the central focus.

"Of course we're joining the race for the Central Salon." Kyouya informed Haruhi, who didn't see the point in the Host Club competing against other, more traditional or sporty, clubs to win the focal point in the school.

"Last year the winner was decided by a chess tournament~! We lost to the Student Council during the finals~!"

"It's not like I care who wins," Haruhi shrugged, "but that is a surprise."

"The son of a very important Hitachiin business associate was on the Student Council." Kyouya explained nonchalantly. "Still, just for publicity purposes, we stayed in the race until the finals."

"We'll win this year, right?"

"Yes, but we have a bit of a problem." he emptied his school bag, full of envelopes, into Haruhi's hands.

"A problem?"

"Look, it's not a big deal, but...every day for a week...we've been receiving somewhat hostile letters..." he explained as the club read the letters. Some had newspaper clippings glued to them to make a sort of ransom-looking note, others were totally blank.

"Withdraw from the race for the salon or else...?" Kiiro read one of the ones with newspaper clippings. "Uh, that may be a big deal..." she said before Kyouya placed a finger to her lips.

"These letters are clearly hate mail! We talked about finding a culprit but..."

"Kyouya! Why did you neglect the matter until now?!" Tamaki screeched.

"It could have been a prank of some sort." he shrugged. "So, I ignored it. After the official announcement today though, we received this..." he pulled out another letter.

"Prepare to die?!" Kiiro's eyes widened. "Definitely a big deal!" Kyouya shushed her.

Tamaki cursed.

"The perpetrator appears to be someone who loses his temper easily."

"You're the one who made him angry!" Tamaki accused. "How could you-?!"

Death glare.

"I already said... I'm sorry."

Kiiro gulped, 'When did he apologize?'

"As I said," he held up an envelope, bouncing back from his evil mode. "We'll have to track down the culprit. By the way, we'll never drop out of the race. We'll promptly find the originator of the letter and crush him." he declared.

The rest of the club was silent, probably glad that they weren't the one incurring the wrath of the Shadow King.

"We'll teach him what it means to cross us." he smiled. "The fool and his descendants will remember it forever."

Kiiro shivered, she could almost feel the lightning in his words.

He switched off his seriousness and pointed to the three who would be his slaves for the next fortnight, "Haruhi, if you can't find him, your debt will be doubled. And, Tamaki, you will be my slave forever. So you two can get to work." he ordered. "And Kiiro?"

"Y-yes?" she squeaked.

"Come with me."

She suppressed a groan and followed him to one of the rooms that branched off from Music Room Three. He closed the door behind them. Blocking off the noise made by Tamaki as he began to get to the bottom of the threatening letters.

"So..." she sat down on the desktop in the office-like room. "What are we doing?"

"Well, we could always..." he closed in on her, placing both hands on either side of her, incredibly close. "You are my slave after all."

"K-Kyouya?" she blushed, unable to escape. She didn't seem to be able to speak, either. Unable to say 'no'. She could feel her pace quicken.

He raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming, then he sighed and laughed, "It's always fun to trick you." he said before straightening up, taking a step back.

She glared at him, "Glad to be of service..."

"Anyways..." he sat down in the chair before her. "I know who sent those letters. And, there's no real threat."

"So, you're toying with them?" she shook her head.

"You know me too well."

"Why? What's the gain?"

"You'll see, as for know, we have planning to do." he smiled.


	12. The Festival (Part Two)

Chapter Twelve: The Festival (Part Two)

It was always interesting when the Host Club got energized by whatever antic they had gotten themselves into.

'Never a dull day here.'

Currently, Renge was explaining her theory on who the harassing perpetrator was. Though, while using descriptions like, "seems honest and is a handsome youth", and, "but is actually a power-hungry monster.", in the same sentence, she was conjuring up a more definitive mental image of Kyouya rather than the Student Council type.

The Twins agreed, "No way, Kyouya-senpai's already taken that role..." Hikaru dismissed her claim.

"We already have one enemy in our club," Kaoru stated, most likely referring to Tamaki, "We're not in need of another."

"Did you say something?" Kyouya walked behind them, smiling his fake smile.

"N-no. Not a word!" they held up their hands, shaking.

Kiiro wanted to tell them who it was, if only to spare Tamaki from his worry, but the Shadow King had given her a quick description of what kind of what kind of punishment would befall her if she _was_ to tell them.

She shivered.

"Excuse us for intruding on your conversation." two council members stood in the doorway. "I'm Matsudaira, Student Council President, we've come to let you know that we've chosen to withdraw from the race." he had sunken cheeks, straw-like-hair and leaned against the door frame for support. Kanan Mitsuyama stood next to him, smiling.

The club was silent, 'Not exactly the Kyouya type.

"It's too much of a burden to compete against the great candidates." he held his stomach. "Besides, we hear it won't be a chess tournament this year..."

Renge excused herself quietly, completely erasing her theory from her mind.

"Will the Host Club also be withdrawing?" Kanan asked sweetly.

"Not at all." Kyouya returned, phony smile on his face.

"Okay, good luck then," she mirrored his smile.

She and Matsudaira left, Kiiro looked to Kyouya, 'Those dark smiles...'

"Anyway, Tamaki," Haruhi started. "You were about to say something earlier?"

"About everyone's theories...then there's one person who fits the bill. If we can safely deduce a profile from these theories, then eight or nine times out of ten, the culprit will be..."

"Hmph...so the Student Council is turning tail and running..." a man walked in the room, he took a bite of the unpeeled orange in his hand.

'Ew...'

Takeshi Kuze, Makoto Tohgouin, and Hayato Tarumi stopped in front of the Hosts, they were the Football Team, and also in the Central Salon Race. "But, I say it's a wise decision. The race this year...will be a one-on-one duel any between the Football Club and the Host Club."

"Amongst the athletic clubs, they're the most talented group. They make it to the National Championships regularly." Tamaki explained. "Their team is called the "Ouran Orages". It's a French word that means "Tempest"."

"It doesn't sound that great." the Twins patronized.

"They chose the name for its similarity to "orange", the fruit that is." Tamaki continued. "The family of the club president, Kuze, holds the largest market share of imported produce in Japan."

"What about that personal grudge we talked about?" the Twins went on.

"Hey, Ootori!" Kuze called. "There's this rumor that you guys deliberately threw the chess competition last year, that true? Ever since you beat us in the semifinal, we've been a laughing stock." he squeezed his orange. "The story is an embarrassment, but this rumor even reached the ears of my fiancee."

"That's an unjustified rumor grievance, Kuze." Kyouya smiled. "Had people respected you, no one would laugh on the basis of such a rumor."

Kiiro suppressed a chuckle at the indirect hostility.

"What? Are you telling me it's my fault?! Even when you were a kid you had some nerve!"

"They're childhood friends, too." Kiiro explained to Haruhi, who was looking a bit confused.

"Remember when we were in preschool?!" Kuze asked, still seething, his orange squeezed to the point of juicing.

"I don't remember when we were kids. Please don't drip on the carpet." Kyouya smiled.

"Hmph...to think that the heir to the Ootori family should belong to such a carnal club as this..." Kuze wiped his mouth, calming down. "Oops, excuse me... You're only the third son."

The club hardened at Kuze's rudeness.

"...so no matter how much you try, you'll never be the heir to your family will you?"

Kyouya was quiet, fake smile vanished.

"No wonder you lick the crumbs of glory off of the Chairman's son's boots. The thought makes me weep..." he shrugged, arrogance exuding from his eyes.

"Hey!" Tamaki interrupted darkly. "That's none of your business. If you've got a grudge, resolve it in the competition..."

Kuze looked to him, where the rest of the club stood behind their president, "Hmph, fine. Let's so how talented the son of our respectable chairman is..."

'So, it's a fight?'

* * *

Kiiro sat in her studio, painting a project of hers, She couldn't quite focus, in reality, her mind was too far away from her brush to actually make something worth making.

Blee-deedel-dee! Blee-dee-deedel-dee!

She jumped out of her trance and glanced at her phone.

"Odd, he usually texts." she flipped her phone open. "Hello?"

"Kiiro? I'm coming over." Kyouya's voice answered.

"What?" she puzzled, what reason did he have to come over?

"I'll tell you when I get there."

"Um, okay?" she closed the phone, wondering why he was coming over. 'I hope everything's alright...he was so quiet after club activities today...'

"Miss Kiiro, you have a visitor." her maid informed her from the doorway.

'Did he call from the driveway? That was quick...'

"S-sure, let him in."

Kiiro waited until he came through her door.

"So?" she got off of the stool in front of her easel, taking a chair by the far wall, gesturing to the one next to her.

He sat beside her, not saying anything at all, he waited and she waited for him.

"It's nothing." he said finally.

"Oh, so you came all the way here to say that?" she turned her chair to face him, sitting Indian-style.

He chuckled half-heartedly, "Maybe."

"Kyouya..." she raised an eyebrow, resting her head in her hands.

"Perhaps...I just came to see you." he said in his phony voice.

"Don't use your host-voice on me." she smirked.

"Oh, so I have a host-voice?" he relaxed, crossing one leg over the other, turning his head to her.

"Yes, it's too sweet."

"I thought girls liked sweet boys?" he asked her.

"Maybe... But, I'm not so interested in boys." she smiled. "Especially sugary ones."

"Hm." he shrugged.

She sighed, staring at him, 'I need to make him talk...'

She got a good idea, she got up and stood right in front of him...looking at him.

"Kiiro?" he raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing?"

"I'm feeling playful." she said as she snatched his glasses.

"Kiiro!"

"I won't give them back until you tell me why you came here." she winked, holding them behind her back.

"Give them back." he stood, coming for her.

"Nope." she darted backward.

"I'll just take them by force." he growled.

She sprinted over to the other side of the room and turned before the door to her room, holding up his glasses, but Kyouya was taller and could easily reach for them, she grinned, turning so her back was to him, keeping his glasses close.

"Come on."

"No!" she giggled.

She tried to get out from under him, and opened the door to her room, he grabbed her arms. With one hand on his glasses, he laughed, "Kiiro, give them back."

She wiggled away quickly, running forward, and tripped over the edge to her pillow pit, twisting to fall on her back, dragging Kyouya down with her.

"Klutz." she heard him say, as he reclaimed his glasses.

"Yay for pillow pits." she stated.

She opened her eyes to see Kyouya putting his glasses back on, while on top of her. She lay beneath him, while he was on all fours. Her face heated up.

"Well..." he smirked, running a finger down her jawline. "Maybe this was why I came here."

She frantically shook her head, too embarrassed to speak.

He chuckled, "Thank you, Kiiro." and, after a moment more, he stood, helping her up.

"You're horrible." she accused.

He smiled.

"Now, will you tell me why you came over?"

He sighed, "I guess I have to. Well, to tell you the truth, I came here to pull myself out of a bad mood."

"Was it...what Kuze said?" she asked gingerly.

"In part, but, thanks to that stunt you pulled, I'm in a much better mood." he shrugged.

"Glad to be of service." she said sarcastically.

"I suppose I can get out of your hair now, if you'd like." he began to walk away.

She grabbed his shirt sleeve, "Hey, wait, Kyouya." she started quietly.

He looked to her.

"You know, you don't have to leave just yet, if you don't want to." she peeked up at him, and his expression made her feel silly about what she was saying, "Um, I, uh, I just mean-!" she sighed. "I mean, I'd like it if you stayed."

He smiled, so genuinely, if made her feel strange, "Alright, I'm not busy anyway..."

She grinned back, "Alright! Oh! Hey! My Dad just had this cool little home theater put in!" she began to walk out of her room, cheering.

He followed her, wondering how she could be so oblivious to this.

* * *

'Six days until the festival.'

Kiiro was currently discussing the race with Kyouya. He sighed, "It's just as I suspected." as he looked at the Newspaper's coverage on the upcoming event.

The rest of the boys were exercising.

"Is that necessary?" Kiiro questioned.

Haruhi seemed puzzled as well.

"It requires physical strength but that can easily offset by our intelligence." Kyouya explained. "Instead of wasting effort now, let's form a suitable strategy and... hey, are you even listening?" the boys ignored him, continuing their regimen.

Haruhi was curious about the Hosts athleticism, "You're always so confident that I figured you'd be fine athletes."

"It's not like we aren't, but if we were good enough to beat the Football Club we wouldn't be hanging out in the Host Club. What about you?" the Twins returned.

"Haruhi's junior high records show that she takes over eleven seconds for a fifty meter sprint." Kyouya answered for her.

"I'm not good at sports." she admitted with a slight blush.

While the exercising boys fawned over Haruhi's unknowingly cute look, Kyouya shut his books, "Which reminds me, Kiiro, due to your records, I'm deeming you unfit to participate."

"You didn't have to say it like that..." Kiiro sighed. "But, I can-."

"Ah ah ah." Kyouya interrupted. "Stinking Rich, and Poor Man." he pointed to himself and then Kiiro, who pouted.

"Oh, come on, Kiiro-senpai, don't get all "Tono" on us." the Twins warned her. "Besides, you're the staff, you participating would be like Renge participating." they said, half-politely, comparing her to their self-proclaimed manager.

"Renge?!" she pouted even more. "I'm like Renge? She didn't even appear in this fic until just this chapter..." she sulked.

"Come now, Kiiro, the fourth wall is fragile as is." Kyouya told her.

The Twins shrugged.

"Oh, and Haruhi, how is your search for the perpetrator coming along?"

"At first, Kuze seemed fishy but..." Haruhi reported. "He seems like he wants to openly confront the Host Club. That means there may be someone who wants to see Kuze falsely accused. Maybe there's a simple solution, if we investigate the people around Kuze. What I don't understand at all is the meaning of the blank letters we found with the hate mail."

"Haruhi, something that appears complicated can be unexpectedly easy, and vise versa. And, even if you have a lot of threads in hand, that doesn't necessarily mean you have to tie them all together. Right?"

"Huh?"

"At any rate, will you memorize this for me before the race?" he handed her a packet.

"What is this, it's heavy."

"The blueprints for the school."

* * *

"Tomorrow's the day of the big race!" the intercom sounded. "What started off as a face-off between the Host Club and the Football Club is now a race between eighteen groups! There are 132 participants!"

'One of them is not me.' Kiiro moped.

"The winner will now doubt have the honor of being recorded in Ouran History!"

She sighed, stitching a few bunny designs onto Hani's battle armor-like coat. She had to stop because her hands had started shaking.

"Nervous?" Kyouya asked.

She smiled, "I'm not even in the race but, yes."

"Don't be." he laughed. "The plan will work."

She exhaled. "I hope."

"It will," he put his hand on her shoulder. "I have complete confidence in it. I constructed it."

"I helped," she raised an eyebrow. "Watch the arrogance."

"You're my slave, so of course I get all of the credit. Just count yourself lucky that I didn't use you for something else."

"I'll suffer in silence."

"Good."

* * *

Kiiro watched on the sidelines as the Hosts stepped up among the contestants in long black, or white in Tamaki and Hani's case, battle coats with long white headbands on their foreheads.

'Actually, now that I've seen it on them,' Kiiro thought. 'It looks like something from shonen manga.' she hung her head.

Kanan stood atop a platform, "Let me explain how the race works." she started. Apparently the President couldn't take over because of his weak stomach. "You're to follow the prescribed route and answer the questions at designated sites in each building, east, west, north and south. If any team member passes, so does his group. If not, they are eliminated. The group that successfully clears all sites will be given five clues. In the finals, participants must use those clues to locate a particular location. The group that claims the hidden crown will win use of the Central Salon. Any questions? Very well, then..."

"Let the race begin!" The broadcaster announced.

The clubs converged on site #1.

"First is the reflex quiz!" the site was full of little buzzers. "What is the name of the Fairy King who appears in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream?"

Tamaki buzzed a split second after the Basketball Club did, "Oberon!"

"Correct answer! Please ascend the slippery slope behind me and continue on!" he pointed to the slanted and oiled platform.

All three failed.

"On what day of the month did the character Murasaki-no-ue in The Tale of Genji die?"

Tamaki buzzed. "August 14th!"

"Correct answer! Suoh of the Host Club is advancing."

The girls squealed as he marched on determined.

"But... he slipped!"

'Flat on his face.'

"The Hitachiin brothers are stepping on him! What an incredible strategy for the chairman's son to sacrifice his body!"

"Who says it's strategy!" Tamaki yelled as they used him as a foothold.

Kiiro laughed. 'Well, that's one way to do it.'

Except they also slipped...

"Tarumi of the Football Club passes by easily! The Football Club starts off in the lead! Close behind are the Gymnastics and Wandervogel Clubs! Could it be? Will the Host Club be eliminated so soon?"

'Not exactly.'

Hani was hoisted into the air by Mori and he sailed easily onto the flat top of the slope.

"It's a miraculous show of teamwork between Haninozuka and Morinozuka!"

More squeals.

"The Host Club passed the first site! Next is the Math Quiz and One-Hundred Chin-ups!"

'Odd combination.'

Mori had the chin-ups covered while Hani and Kyouya zipped through the math tests.

"Third is memorization quiz and tightrope walking!"

'Why that combination?' she could see a similar question in Haruhi's eyes.

Tamaki wiggled along on the rope while Kyouya wrote away on his quiz.

"Fourth is a game of concentration and free throws!"

The twins easily matched up the two paintings with the same painter.

'Well, they're pretty good artists after all.' Kiiro admitted to herself.

They then easily threw the basketball through the hoop, posing for their fangirls.

"Goal! All clear! The Host Club finished at the same time as the Football Club! Will the other groups follow? As expected it looks like the two groups that sparked the race will move on to challenge each other in the final round!"

Even more squeals.

"Which club will seize the crown?"

* * *

The club went over the cryptic clues as they changed into costumes that she had, in part, designed, glad to finally prove herself useful, the clues were, "B, square, H. Go up and sink. Tenjiku. KCN. And, between the Holy Mother and Angel."

As she helped Kyouya adjust his robe, he asked her, "Kiiro, you know where it is, right?"

"Yes." she whispered, not wanting the rest of the boys to hear her, as they had deduced the first two and the fourth clues to mean west in different ways, and decided to head to the Sunset Venice exhibit set up in the West Gym, "Why do you waste your time going to the gym?"

"To create a better chance for a close race." he smiled.

"Ah, hold on, it's too loose here." Kiiro stopped him. She took a needle and thread from the table, getting closer so she could get to the collar of his robe, "U-um, would you mind sitting down for a second...it's hard to see." she fidgeted, despising her 5' 2" height versus his 6' 0".

"Sure." he smirked, settling in a chair.

She stitched his collar closer together so it wouldn't move as easily, she tried to ignore how close their faces were, "Th-there, I got it." she bit the thread and quickly stepped back.

"Thank you." he said, not ignorant to her red face.

"Y-yeah..."

* * *

"Now the final match is getting more exciting! Is it chance or is it inevitable?" The Broadcasting Club unveiled a huge, flat-screened television. "Both clubs have deduced the same destination! Sunset Venice in the West Gym! Wow! Please, watch the screen!"

They close-upped on the Host Club, covered in an excess of feathers and frills in slightly clownish costumes and robes.

"Carnivale! The Host Club quickly changed into Venetian carnivale costumes with the location change! What an awesome performer's spirit! They took no heed to the fact that it wasn't necessary for the race or that it was a complete waste of time! In a way they're reckless! Incidentally, "Sunset Venice" is apparently an event in which the ancient Italian city of Venice has been reconstructed in the west gym! Anyhow, let's continue with our live report!"

The Hosts caught up with the Football Club while the girls in the crowd squealed.

Kiiro laughed as Tamaki caught an orange that Kuze had thrown and sank into the channel of water under their boat. And then stood by silently as the Host Club frantically paddled toward the Accademia Bridge. Which... wasn't finished.

'No crown there.'

Kiiro smiled as Haruhi ran off toward the real location. The pool on the roof of the west building. The club took off their heavy clothing and ran after her. The Football Club got there after Haruhi and pushed her into the pool. Kyouya stopped Tamaki from swimming after her and dove in himself.

On the opposite side of the pool there was a throne which sat between a statue of the Holy Mother and an Angel, the crown was located there.

Tamaki and Takeshi both reached for the crown and...

"It's... It's over Tamaki Suoh claimed the crown! The Host Club wins!"

On screen, Tamaki held up the crown high in the air, looking every bit the King.

Kiiro couldn't help herself she cheered, and perhaps even squealed a tiny bit.

And, for some reason as Kiiro watched the Hosts figure out who sent the letters, Kanan sent them to try and scare the Host Club off so Kyouya wouldn't end up beating her fiance Kuze again, and how Kyouya used them, bringing the letters to their attention so they would get more fired up about the race, she could only think of that one quote, "Use whatever is at hand, be it friend or foe." - Kyouya.

"What a dark guy..." she smiled to herself as she made her way to where the club was. "But, you can't help but like him..."


	13. The Festival Finale and Soup

Chapter Thirteen: The Festival Unveiled! and Soup.

"Th- Thermotype?" The club shouted after the race.

"What is that?" Tamaki asked Haruhi.

"She means invisible ink." The Twins cleared up.

"In other words it's disappearing ink." Hikaru began with the crown from the race on his head. "It's not visible when you write with it, but by warming it, it shows up."

"We used to use it a lot for mischief..."

"No surprise..." Kiiro grinned at them.

"No. It's just orange juice." Haruhi corrected. She pulled out a lighter. "Thinking that these letters were connected to the other hate mail was a mistake. It's really quite simple. If you apply heat to a blank paper."

She heated one paper. A letter to Tamaki began to appear.

"Just as I thought," Kyouya began. "It's from the Chairman."

"Dear Tamaki, Let's have dinner together! Dear Tamaki, When are you going to write me back? Dear Tamaki, This orange is pretty tasty." Kiiro laughed as she read aloud.

"What the heck? These are all personal letters to Tono?"

"Th... That..."

* * *

The entire club went into the Chairman's Office to watch Tamaki and his father bicker.

The Chairman, who looked exactly like Tamaki would if he were fully Japanese and older, seemed completely serious and a tad bit annoyed at his son, "Tamaki you truly are... a very silly boy!" he poked King's cheek. "I received a report that the Host Club was receiving hate mail. I had to contribute immediately." Yuzuru Suoh said with a smile. "So what do you think? I made it more fun, didn't I? I deepened the mystery?"

"You didn't have to make it more "Fun"!' scolded Tamaki. "If you want to say something, talk to me directly!"

'Funny usually Tamaki's the ridiculous one. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I guess.'

"You say that Tamaki, but..." Yuzuru abruptly looked to the corner with panic in his eyes.

Tamaki turned quickly, Kiiro whipped her head around.

"What, there's nothing there?" they said in unison.

"Oh, I got two." Yuzuru chuckled. "Hello! You're Haruhi Fujioka, right? I heard a lot of good things about you!" he shook Haruhi's hand.

Tamaki pouted in the corner. Kiiro inwardly pondered at how easily she could be tricked.

"I'm so busy, I haven't had time to come by..." Mr. Suoh went on. "How are you getting along at school? Is there anything that bothers you? By the way, are you interested in Webster?"

"Uh... Thank you, I'm quite used to school now. And if you're talking about Jean Webster, I've read her book _Daddy Long-legs_, but that's it."

"Wonderful!" he snapped. "Miss!"

His secretary gave him a bundle of paper, which he handed to Haruhi.

"Here you go."

'Stationary?'

"You see, the reason I established the scholarship program..." he struck a dramatic, selfless sort of pose. "I wanted to be the "Daddy-long-legs" to deprived but ambitious boys and girls."

"You want me to write letters of appreciation?" Haruhi questioned with an unbelieving voice.

'Just like Tamaki...'

"I'm also quite aware of the reason you hide the fact that you're a girl..." He took her hands. "What a horrible boy Tamaki is to do that to such a darling little girl... I have an idea! What about if this daddy buys you a dress?"

"Dad!" Tamaki yelled hopelessly. "Stay away from Haruhi, please! We're busy, if you'll excuse us! Let's go, everyone!" Tamaki pushed everyone out of the room, save for Kyouya.

* * *

Kiiro sat drawing in her studio after school, still smiling over how strange and refreshing her friends could be. Today was such a nice day, she had left a window open and could feel the relaxing breeze blowing in. Stirring the studio's many papers, creating such a soothing sound in the near-quiet.

She breathed deeply, 'I haven't been this calm in so long...'

Abruptly, the door to her studio was opened, disturbing her peace.

"Ne, Mom?!" she squeaked as her mother ran right up to her and hugged her tightly. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

Her mother, who was her spitting image but older and blue-eyed, released her, "Oh, Kiiro! Is that any way to greet your mother!" she cried.

Her father stepped into the room behind her, followed by Aneleigh, her younger sister, fourteen but already an inch taller than her older sister.

"What?! You're all here?! Why didn't you tell me you were coming?!" she shouted.

"We wanted it to be a surprise so we can go to your festival tomorrow." he father chuckled, bending down to see her eye-to-eye, "Well, the customary thing to say when you see your daughter after a long time would be, "My, how you've grown!"" he smiled. "But you haven't." he teased.

"Ack! Dad!" she protested as he ruffled her hair.

"Still have a height complex?" Aneleigh, embraced her sister, "I've missed you, sis."

Kiiro smiled, "I've missed you too!" she hugged her, she absolutely adored her younger sister, they were very close.

"She does look different, though, dear." her mother grinned as she watched her children chatter.

"No doubt about it..." her father added.

"It's not fair, when did she grow up?" her mother sighed. "She used to be so backwards, she shouldn't like boys yet!"

"Well, she is seventeen, now..." he slumped. "At least Kyouya is a respectable boy..." he huffed.

"But, I'm not ready to give her up to some boy!" they cried together.

"Ne?!" Kiiro panicked. "What's wrong?! Why are you crying?!" she asked as they sulked.

'Why are my parents so weird?!'

* * *

"Everyone! At long last! The 43rd Ouran school festival is now open! Ladies and gentlemen please reference both the pamphlet and the touch screens for information! The touch screens are specially placed in each building! Please relax in the Central Salon located in the Central Building! Also please join us at the Dance Party at 5 p.m.!"

'Tamaki is so odd.' Kiiro thought as she manned a tiny kiosk in 2-A's event "Kiosks of the common folk."

"Oh, Kiiro this is..." her mother doted. "...um."

"You can say it Mom. It's weird." she laughed. "The president of my club thought it up, and he has quite a bit of sway in class and is obsessed with commoner stuff."

"Oh, the Suoh boy! I want to meet these club members by the way!" she laughed. "Enough of this place, Kiiro, join me in the Central Salon!"

"Do I have a choice?" she allowed herself to be dragged away, closing her kiosk. "Hey, where's Dad and Aneleigh?"

"Oh, I think they got caught up in that Venice attraction, they'll be with us soon."

* * *

"What an excellent son you have. I heard there were a lot of competitors for the Central Salon this year!" her mother exclaimed. She was speaking to Kyouya's father.

"Is she always like this?" Kyouya asked quietly.

"Yeah, she's uh... like that." Kiiro smiled weakly.

"My daughter told me all about it with such enthusiasm!" she gestured toward Kiiro.

'Me? When?' she blinked and smiled.

"I hear it was rigged to favor the athletic clubs. It was a great victory!"

"How wonderful."

"Rumor has it their strategy was planned by Kyouya! You sure are smart! You're already a top-student, but this required a different expertise!"

"Oh no, not at all." Kyouya humbly returned. "Unfortunately, I was not born to stand above others as a leader."

"How humble you are!"

"It was right to let the Chairman's son take the spotlight at the end." Kyouya's father half-praised. "Well done, Kyouya. It's good to show support for the Suoh family."

"To be honest, I was taken aback when I heard of the Host Club." Kiiro's mother smiled and laughed. "Well, it's rather outrageous, isn't it?"

"In this day and age, changing people's perceptions is also an important technique. Unless one can attract attention, it's impossible to be understood or even recognized." Kyouya's father returned. "I advocate meritocracy. If he has the talent, well... I don't mind naming my third son heir to the family business..."

Kiiro looked up at Kyouya, his eyes hidden by the shine on his glasses.

"Oh, how exciting!"

The smile was clear on his face.

Kiiro's mother looked over at her, she wore a kind of look that said, "See, that's what he wanted to hear."

'My Mom's crazy.'

"You're Kiiro Harper aren't you?" Kyouya's father asked.

"Y-yes, sir." she answered quickly, curtsying.

He looked to Kyouya, "I'll be sure to keep that name in mind. It's was a pleasure talking to you, Mrs. Harper." And, with that he walked off.

'Okay... just don't question it, I guess...'

"What?" her father and Aneleigh found them in the crowd, "Oh, I missed Yoshio..." he looked after Kyouya's father. "I'd been meaning to talk to him..." he shrugged. "Ah! Hello, Kyouya!" he smirked, "It's nice to see you again."

Kyouya bowed, "And you, sir."

"Enough of this formal "sir" business." he chuckled. "You're only reminding me how old I am. You can call me Richard, if you like, or Father." he smiled, "Since you and my daughter are so close." he teased her.

"D-Dad! What are you talking about?!" Kiiro shook him while her mother only laughed.

"Kyouya, I have to thank you for bringing my sister out of her shell more." Aneleigh said bluntly. "She's much more lively since she moved to Japan." she looked to her sister, "It's not fair though, how come you get to come here and hang out with such handsome boys?"

"What do you mean, Aneleigh?" she questioned.

"In the Sunset Venice exhibition, there was this really tall boy, I think he was a senior." she swooned.

"N-No way, you're not talking about who I think you are..." Kiiro conjured up an image of Mori in her head. "Ah! I've had enough of you lot." she straightened up and fixed her hair smoothly. "It's about time for the carriage ride and I'll have to assist with costumes..." she strutted off away from her crazy family, Kyouya excused himself and followed.

"You know..." she laughed. "They're intolerable sometimes..." she looked to Kyouya. "But, I really missed them!"

"I'm starting to see who you take after." he smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she stuck her tongue out at him.

* * *

"Which one is that blond boy?" Mrs. Harper asked as the Hosts rode by the crowd on an elegant carriage that had been shipped in from England. They dressed in brightly colored, and yet again frilly, Regal era riding clothes.

"That's Tamaki Suoh, the princely one." Kiiro laughed. "He's a little peculiar at times, but a good friend."

"And the elementary student?"

Kiiro nearly laughed her head off, "A senior named Mitskuni Haninozuka. He acts like an elementary student, too. He's really good at martial arts, though."

"A senior, really? And that one next to him?"

"Takashi Morinozuka, his cousin and friend, like a guardian. Very silent."

She noticed that Aneleigh watched him in particular.

"And that short, brownish haired one?"

"Ah, Haruhi Fujioka, the scholarship student. A good person, if a tad bit incredulous."

"And there's Kyouya and..."

"The twins, Hikaru and Kaoru, those little doppelganger devils..."

"Oh, yes, those boys." she chuckled, having heard a thing or two about them.

* * *

"Student activities are now over, please come to the Grand Hall and enjoy the Dance Party." the intercom announced.

"Haruhi's thinking about something." Kiiro mused, looking over to where Haruhi stood in her dress, pretending to be her own cousin.

"Ah, that, she was told Tamaki's story." Kyouya cleared spinning with her on the floor.

"Oh..." she thought about how Tamaki's mother was separated from him in France, how his grandmother hated him for being illegitimate.

"I believe she compared it to a soap opera."

"That's..."

"A sappy show for housewives."

"Oh, okay, you lost me for a moment." she looked over to where Aneleigh stood, shyly accepting a request from her favorite host, "I think my sister is a closet Mori fan." she chuckled.

"She does sort of fit the type I suppose." he looked to her. "What's your type?" he teased.

"I'm not interested." she held up her head.

He was about to say something when another something caught his eye. "What are they...?"

Kiiro turned to see Haruhi offering something to Tamaki off of her plate.

"It seems she's forgotten her manners..."

"That's not good..."

Some of the people in the crowd were talking about how ill-mannered she was. Even Tamaki's grandmother was watching. Haruhi almost ran to fetch another plate. But, Tamaki ate off of her fork anyway.

'Um...' Kiiro waited for the other shoe to drop, but nothing happened.

She looked up at Kyouya, who was recovering from his slight shock. She chuckled and he soon joined her.

* * *

The Festival was over so quickly, and her family had to leave at the end, but not before her father got to embarrass her further.

"Now, Kyouya, know that I'm counting on you to keep my Kiiro safe." he smiled. "Treat her well, because if I find her upset or slighted in any way, I'll be out for blood."

"Of course, sir." Kyouya smiled back.

"Dad! I'm seventeen! I can take care of myself!" she pounded her fists on his back.

"I know, Kiiro," he bent to be face-to-face. "But, sometimes you seem so little that I just can't help but think otherwise." he teased.

"You're such a jerk!" she pouted.

"I'm really going to miss you, though, Kiiro." he sulked, their faces mirrored each other.

"I'll miss you too, Dad."

Kyouya just shook his head.

* * *

'Okay, there's no way in hell that it's Spring again already.' Kiiro thought. 'Maybe it's a Japanese thing...'

She was in the Cafeteria watching the Twins as they tried not to order the same thing.

"Lunch "C" please." They said in unison.

"No, I changed my mind, the lamb from Lunch "A", the soup, appetizer, and milk from Lunch "B"! No, never mind! The Lunch "D" and a soda- no! The lobster from "C", the salad from "D" and the soup from "B", please!" They glared at each other. And went straight for the other's eyes. "Stop copying me!"

Thankfully, they were pulled away by Tamaki. "Will you two stop? You're disgracing our club! You're not going to kill time by roping us in! We're on to your mock fights!"

"Wrong! We started this so we could fight over Haruhi's lunchbox to relieve our boredom." they crossed their arms.

Tamaki was fantasizing again.

"It's a good thing Tono's mind's always so busy."

"Tune us in on your wild fantasy frequency."

"It's spring after all~!"

"Wait a minute, I've seen a similar plot before." Kyouya explained.

"Don't break the fourth wall." Kiiro laughed.

"The way things are going, I think what awaits us is..." Kyouya continued.

"Earth to Tamaki! Let's throw things at him!" The Twins threw a fork.

Tamaki artfully dodged, using bridged maneuver.

'Denied.'

The fork landed in the Vice Principal's soup, covering him with potage.

"I have seen this before!"Kiiro held up her hand.

"Members of the Host Club... Please come to the Vice Principal's office later..." the mustached man ordered.

'Does that mean me too...? I didn't do anything...'

* * *

"Deplorable! Who on earth do you think you are?" The Vice Principal scolded. "You are supposed to set an example! And yet you've started this questionable club and repeatedly caused chaos! Aren't you ashamed to be hauled in here for causing trouble in the lunchroom? You're high school students! Your actions are absolutely deplorable..."

"What now the elder is livid!" The twins hissed.

"Look, this is all your fault!" Tamaki yelled back.

"I'm guessing he lost it because his soup was potage and not consomme." Kyouya guessed.

"Well, probably not..." Kiiro shrugged.

"It was hot and his clothes got messy." Haruhi informed him.

"Are you even listening to me?" The Vice President attacked Tamaki. "Listen, the issue isn't about Consomme vs. Potage. The point is not to waste any food, whatever it might be. Having been brought up with silver spoons you may not understand but... it was right after the war... During a time when I hardly had enough food to eat I was pursuing a career in Accademia... Unlike you I came from a poor family. One day, I went mountaineering and almost starved to death..."

'Why was he mountaineering when he was starving?'

"When I thought I was dead... I heard a voice, "Don't give up yet- come with me. Please, have some hot soup." I don't know what kind of soup that goddess from the hut gave me with her warm meal but... the food was delicious. It truly tasted out of this world. When I ate it, I felt this energy bursting from me. Later, I became a teacher, as a side project I started researching all kinds of soups. Which is what led me to write this book."

He pushed a copy of Dr. Soup talks about Soups of the World in front of them.

"Huh..."

"But, however much I research, I've yet to find that soup. I mean... I'll probably never come across it again. Because..."

"What a touching story." Kiiro had pulled her knees up to her chest like a child during story time. Her eyes were big and starry.

Mori, Hani, Tamaki and the Twins were deeply moved.

"Sir! Your story touched me deeply. How foolish we've been!" Tamaki started. "Everyone, you heard what he said right?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Vice Principal, please leave the matter to us! We will not let your precious memory go to waste, sir! We will make sure we meet your expectations! We'll recreate the soup of your memory! Men-and Kiiro- are you all prepared?! Let's roll out!"

They exited the office.

* * *

The following days became a kind of competition for who could make the soup. So far, all were wrong.

'Though to be fair, the Twins brought one from the Amazon... and Hani-senpai's was chocolate.'

And the prize was Haruhi's lunch box.

'Though, truthfully, I just want bragging rights.'

Currently, Haruhi was showing them how to cook soup, and though most of the Hosts were completely inept, Kiiro could at least chop carrots and mix ingredients, so she was helping Haruhi.

"So, Haruhi, what kind of soup do you think it was?" Kyouya, who was not participating, asked.

"Well, even though western dishes spread rapidly after the war, I think it was Japanese. Soup is basically a stew in Japan after all. Considering the location the ingredients must have been edible wild plants and mushrooms." she deduced expertly.

"Gotta have some meat~!" Hani cheered.

"That means chicken, deer, beef..." Kyouya concluded.

'When did Mori leave?' Kiiro looked about for the vanished senior.

There was a knock at the door of the school's kitchen, "Well, since we don't have it here, we can't add it but... in the mountains there are wild boars." Haruhi opened the door and Mori was revealed with a struggling wild boar over his shoulder.

Haruhi shut the door and locked it, "Let's try some chicken."

"Yummy~!"

"Where did he even ge- ouch!" Kiiro stopped. She had cut her thumb.

"Did you nick yourself?" Kyouya asked.

"Yeah."

"Does it hurt?"

"A little." she pouted, knitting her brow.

He raised her thumb to look at it and then he, "Ew. Did you just lick my thumb?"

"I was getting the blood off."

"There's a sink right here, you didn't have to go all vampiric on me." she whined.

He just smirked, "Don't be such a child."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

* * *

While Kiiro was helping with the soup, the Hosts were trying to find side dishes. And they were trying soy sauce on Creme Caramel. Which, is rumored to taste like sea urchin.

'Yuck.'

Too bad it didn't work. But, due to something Haruhi said, Kiiro was tempted to try raw tuna dipped in soy sauce and topped with mayonnaise to see if it tasted like otoro.

She, and the rest of the members, raised the tuna to her lips and bit.

"Kyouya! Mori-senpai!" Tamaki snapped.

"Gotcha."

Kyouya flipped open his phone, "It's me. Find the very first person in the world who said that raw tuna topped with mayonnaise and soy sauce will taste like otoro and immediately banish him from the country."

"Isn't that a little harsh?"

"No."

Mori took off his apron, "Haruhi. Otoro doesn't taste like this at all. You've been deceived."

"It's not like I believed it. Mori-senpai, if you must persuade me so seriously as to throw off your apron to do it- I want to die." she stated bluntly.

Dark Hani surfaced, "Only someone who knew nothing about its true taste would come up with something so ridiculous. Hurting Haru-chan like that..."

"That's right. Could an ignorant person generate a true replica?" Tamaki said angrily. "Of course not."

"Leave it to us, Haruhi..."

"...we'll avenge you."

"For the Vice Principal and Haruhi...we'll protect the true flavor!" the Twins and King announced.

'Idiots.'

Now, to Haruhi's disappointment, they were trying everything they had and ended up making a bunch of gross, messy stuff. And all Haruhi got to take home was the left over natto.

'Poor Haruhi.'

"Let's bring everything to the Vice Principal's office!"

But he was gone on a week long vacation. And then they were forced to eat all of their nasty concoctions.

'Disgusting...'

And, everyone got upset stomachs!

'Yay!'


	14. Hot Springs!

Chapter Fourteen: Hot Springs

Anxiety, Kiiro had plenty of anxiety problems. Whenever she over thought something she could feel the tension building in her chest, her heart pounded and her stomach flipped. Her words came out all wrong, jumbled when she spoke or too quiet, stammers and stutters. She was quite familiar with the symptoms.

She had them now, as she waited for the Host Club to empty of guests, so she could speak with a certain someone.

The anxiety settled in her skin.

"Remember to come see us again after the break, ladies." Kyouya smiled, host-voice latent.

"The Ouran Host Club will be waiting for you." Tamaki winked at the collection of squealing girls, his flawless grin glinted.

"We'll see you then." the group said in unison, as all of the girls took their leave.

After a moment, the boys (and Haruhi) broke out of their practiced poses.

"And now Golden Week can begin!" the Twins relaxed.

"Even men as beautiful as I need time to rest." Tamaki stretched, still in King-mode.

"Are we going to take a vacation again, Tama-chan~?" Hani asked of the younger boy, recalling the time they all headed out to the Ootori Resort.

"If we do, let's avoid places with crocodile pits." Hikaru snarked, hands behind his head.

"And somewhere less experimental." Kaoru added, as no one was looking forward to being Kyouya's guinea pigs anytime soon.

"Well, I hadn't thought about it." Tamaki pondered, suddenly deep in thought. "But, if a certain someone wanted to go somewhere this week, Daddy would happily take them anywhere!" he hinted, with a side glance at Haruhi.

Haruhi caught the hint and harshly replied, "It's not like I'm doing anything this week, but I'm looking forward to a break from this club, senpai." she said pointedly.

Tamaki curled up in his corner.

"You know it's you're fault that she doesn't want to hang out with us, Tono." the Twins crossed their arms.

The trio began to bicker, and amidst their clamor, Kiiro approached the object of her thoughts.

"U-um, well, i-if you're not doing anything, maybe wouldn't mind maybe going to an onsen with me?" she blurted out. "For a few days? Just the two of us? I mean, if you're not too busy."

A body of silence filled up the room. Everyone looked to Kiiro in shock.

"Kiiro-senpai?" Haruhi gave her an odd look. "S-sure, if it's just the two of us, I wouldn't mind."

Kiiro's eyes lit up, "Really?!" the anxiety lifted from her shoulders. "I'll pay, of course!" she beamed. "Is it going to be a problem with your Father?"

"No, he's always pushing me to hang out with girls more, anyway." she shrugged.

As the two girls chatted, the rest of the club watched, still in shocked silence, "H-Haruhi... K-Kiiro's taking Haruhi to an onsen...?" Tamaki muttered. "Why...why didn't I think of that?" he slumped.

"Even if you had, Haruhi would have declined." Kyouya said nonchalantly, perhaps the only one not in a state of sheer surprise.

"Hey! Kiiro-senpai!" the Twins huffed, sliding to either side of her, "Where do you get off asking Haruhi out like that?!" they accused.

"Asking her out?" she knitted her brow. "It's not a date."

"Then why just the two of you?" they bent to meet her eyes-to-eye.

"Well, it's because we're both girls..." she put a finger to her chin. "And it's not like I could ask a boy to go to an onsen with me!" she defended herself.

The Twins acted like they had been struck by lightning, they joined Tamaki in his corner and the three of them cried, "It's not fair... They're both girls... So they get to hang out...?"

"But, Tama-chan, didn't you want Haru-chan to have girl friends~?" Hani tried to cheer him up.

"Hm." Mori agreed.

"That's right, you said so yourself when Renge joined Ouran Academy." Kyouya reminded him.

King and the Twins shared in an inner mind theater, where they imagined Kiiro tutoring Haruhi in the ways of a woman, they giggled and shopped together, dressed up in skirts while Kiiro taught Haruhi how to wear make up. They walked arm-in-arm through a field, smiling.

Tamaki stood, "That's correct!" he cheered, immediately brought out of his depression. With a grin he abruptly crowded Kiiro, "What an ingenious plan, Aunty!" he took her hands in his, tears still streaming down his face. "We're all counting on you!"

"Plan...?" she recoiled, eyebrows raised, "W-what?"

* * *

The day after next, Kiiro and Haruhi had arrived in Kyoto, where Kiiro checked them in to a rather traditional onsen for a two-day stay.

Seeing as how it was a few hours past lunch time, and a ryokan traditionally served dinner and breakfast only, Kiiro begged Haruhi to explore a bit of Kyoto with her.

"Really? You've never been to Kyoto, Kiiro-senpai?" Haruhi tilted her head in confusion. "I thought you were as obsessed with Japan as Tamaki-senpai was?" she questioned. "No offense."

"None taken!" her senior grinned. "I was scheduled to visit here the summer after my sophomore year. But I ended up being so mystified by Tokyo that I spent almost the whole summer there." she fawned, hands to her rosy cheeks.

Haruhi chuckled at this unseen side of her senpai, "I never knew you came to Tokyo last summer."

Kiiro nodded as they walked through the busy streets, window shopping, "Mhm!" she chirped. "I've been there a number of times, when I was little, my Grandmother would take me often, she was half-Japanese and she grew up in Tokyo."

"So you're an eighth Japanese?"

"Yep! Maybe that's why I like this country so much?" she couldn't help but giggle. "Ne? Haruhi, look! A cat cafe? What a wonderful sort of place!" she cheered. "Can we stop for lunch?" she began to get carried away, fascinated by the prospect of dining while surrounded by cute, communal cats.

After a while of exploring and a little bit of early shopping for souvenirs, Kiiro and Haruhi headed back to the onsen, as the sun was about to set.

They returned to a large, traditional meal, which Kiiro had to take pictures of. "I'm sorry there's no otoro, Haruhi." she said as they finished.

"It's fine. " she chuckled. "It was still an amazing meal, though."

"And we'll get three more over our stay!" Kiiro grinned. "I'll probably have to start dieting again to lose all the weight I'm about to gain." she mused.

"I didn't know you were the type of girl to diet, senpai." Haruhi smiled.

"Well, I may not be all that interested in boys," she winked at her. "But I love swimming, so I need to stay in 'bikini shape'." she replied, relaxing on the tatami mat floor.

"I'm too much of a glutton to worry over dieting." Haruhi shrugged.

"So you admit it!" Kiiro pointed to the doe-eyed girl. "You are a glutton."

"There's nothing wrong with being a glutton." she smirked. "Especially when you do all the cooking at home."

"You're right!" she rested her head in her hands. "If I could it Haruhi's home cooked meals every day, I'd be a glutton, too!" she admitted.

Haruhi chuckled, "You're starting to sound like Tamaki-senpai on me, Kiiro-senpai."

"I'm not that bad am I?" she raised an eyebrow. "If I was I'd be sulking now." she poked fun at the loveable idiot.

The two laughed, thinking of the boys in their club.

* * *

"I think it's working, Tono!" Hikaru commented, ear pressed to the wall.

"Their laughing and chatting!" Kaoru informed the group.

The Hosts, unable to miss witnessing Haruhi bonding with a girl, and hopefully beginning to act more like one, had decided to "accompany-them-but-not-inform-them-about-accompanying-them" to the onsen. In other words, they were stalking them.

"Really?!" Tamaki beamed, "What about?!" he put his ear to the wall, straining.

"You know I think that's the perfect word to describe King!" he heard Kiiro say. "Obnoxious."

Tamaki recoiled from the wall, retreating to his corner.

"That's what you get for following them..." Kyouya sighed. "And why you should have stayed home..."

"If Kyou-chan wanted to stay home, why was he planning to come here without us~?" Hani wondered aloud in his sugar sweet voice.

Kyouya pushed up his glasses, they shined in the light, "I have my reasons, Hani-senpai." he said simply.

"I bet it's to see what Kiiro-senpai says about him." Kaoru muttered to his brother, quietly, who nodded.

* * *

After showering off, Kiiro wrapped herself in a towel, and walked outside to join Haruhi in the girl's hot spring bath.

The hot spring was just like she imagined, a quiet pool nestled between the rocks, swathed in steam, a tall screen separated the men's bath from the women's. She clapped her hands, "It's so beautiful!" she gasped, testing the hot water with one of her feet, before deeming it heavenly and submerging herself.

"Ahhh." she let out a sigh of content. "It's even better than I imagined." she settled down into the water, towel still on as was customary, and to keep some modicum of modesty around her junior.

"Yeah..." Haruhi agreed, feeling just as satisfied in that moment.

"Thanks for coming here with me, Haruhi." Kiiro glanced to her, finding her relaxed expression exceedingly cute. "I'll do anything you like to return the favor."

"You're welcome, Kiiro-senpai." she said calmly. "And it's not like you have to pay me back, you know, seeing as how you're paying for the trip."

"I know but still..." she began. "I really wanted to come here and I couldn't have asked one of the boys to accompany me..."

"Speaking of, Kiiro-senpai..." Haruhi perked up. "It seems there's a lot about you that I don't know...and I'm a little curious about something..."

"Yes, Haruhi?"

"Well, I was wondering about you and Kyouya-senpai." she stated. "I can tell the two of you are close, like you spend a lot of time together. Did you meet him when you visited last summer?" she asked.

"Kyouya..." she thought back to when they met. "No, we met long before that. I've known him for near a decade now."

"Really? So how did you meet?"

"Mhmm." she nodded. "When I was seven, my parents took me to a Gala in the spring, it was just outside of Tokyo and the family was an important associate of our business. I was really awkward back then..."

Haruhi wondered if she was aware that she was still awkward.

"...and I was surrounded by all of these kids who I didn't know. I was so nervous that I hid away in the garden, watching all of the adults dancing inside. And that's when Kyouya approached me, and asked me to dance." she concluded. "I think a few years after that we started talking to each other over the internet..."

"Wow, that's not really what I'd expect from Kyouya-senpai."

"Yeah, now that you mention it, it doesn't really sound very characteristic of him." she chuckled. "But we were seven."

She heard a splashing from the men's bath beyond the screen, "What a touching story! You never told me about it!" someone blubbered.

"Stay quiet!" two someones hissed.

"Get off of me." another someone growled.

"Th-those voices..." Haruhi paled, staggering in her realization.

"I-I think we better retreat to a safe distance, Haruhi." Kiiro said as the screen bowed against the weight of the boys pressed against the other side.

They angrily left the bath just as the screen gave way and Tamaki, Hikaru and Kaoru fell through to the other side in a pile, Kiiro slammed the sliding door to the spring shut, feeling dark and betrayed.

* * *

The boys bowed before the girls in apology, after having apologized to the manager of the ryokan for wrecking the screen. Excluding Kyouya, who bowed for no one.

"We're not stalking, I promise!" Tamaki flailed, trying to explain himself to Haruhi, who just looked at the group with a murderous glare.

"You were stalking and snooping on our conversations." she pointed out coldly. "This is why I was looking forward to a break..." she grumbled.

"We just wanted to see Haruhi transform into a girl!" the Twins wailed, squirming beneath her glare.

"Transform...?" Haruhi raised an eyebrow, unamused. "I'm already a girl, you know."

"I'm surprised, Twins," Kiiro shook her head at them. "That sounds like something only King would be dumb enough to say..."

"Aunty is so mean!" Tamaki cried, clinging to Kyouya's yukata.

"Hey! That's an insult! There's no way we're as thick as Tono!" they declared.

"And to spy on the women's bath," she tsked, reveling in their wriggling beneath the combined aura of the girls. "I thought you lot were a decent bunch, when really you're just perverts..."

"It's not like that at all!" Tamaki and the Twins cried as Haruhi's glare darkened.

"Come now, Kiiro, I'm beginning to think you're enjoying their cries." Kyouya smirked at her.

She smiled, aura vanishing for a moment, "I think you're rubbing off on me." she shrugged.

"No fair!" the gingers threw their hands up. "How come Kyouya-senpai doesn't get the 'evil treatment'?!"

"Because I wasn't trying to sneak a peek at the girls." he said with a smile, causing Haruhi to become even angrier.

* * *

After everything had calmed down, the group, upon mostly Tamaki and Kiiro's insisting, had visited one of the ryokan's common rooms. It was equipped with ping pong tables and commoner's vending machines and it had a beautiful view of a small, secluded garden. There was a little patch of woods outside and beyond that was the city lights, illuminating the night.

As the Twins versed Hani and Mori in an intense bout of table tennis, and repeatedly lost to the two martial artists, Tamaki (who was now in crybaby son mode) and Haruhi (who was in annoyed mother mode) watched them and Kiiro examined the odd vending machines before choosing a melon-flavored soft drink. She settled in a spot by the open door leading outside, admiring the night time view.

"You know they're having fireworks tomorrow night, in celebration of Golden Week." Kyouya sat beside her, appearing quite polished in his dark blue yukata.

"Really?" her eyes lit up. "That's perfect!" she took a sip of her surprisingly good melon drink. "I'm loving this trip. Kyouya, they have a cat cafe here!" she informed him.

"Do they?" he chuckled, he humored her, having known about them for a while now.

"Isn't that a wonderful idea? Commoners are geniuses, the waitress told me that they have cats because many commoners live in apartments that don't allow pets." she rambled happily.

"You seem surprisingly energetic." he commented with a smirk.

"Well, I've been wanting to come to Kyoto for a while now, and a ryokan." she confessed like it was a secret. "The water here is magic."

He smiled at her, and looked over her slim yukata, decorated in neon bubbles against a black background, her hair tied back with pink ribbon.

She caught the look he gave her, "K-Kyouya?" she questioned.

And she wasn't able to avert his gaze, he held her with his eyes, unable to escape or break away. It made her stomach flutter.

A ping pong ball flew into Kyouya's shoulder, he turned to the Twins angrily, spell broken.

"We challenge you two to a game!" the Hitachiins shouted.

Apparently Hani and Mori had retired to their rooms a short time ago, and now the Twins had no one to go against, because Haruhi had refused to play with any of them, being still mad.

Kiiro saw the glare Kyouya gave them, "Boys, I don't think that's such a good idea..."

"No, we'll play." Kyouya accepted to Kiiro's surprise, "I can be unexpected sometimes, Kiiro." he smirked, helping her up.

"So you were snooping." she stated flatly.

"Well, you were talking about me." he replied.

"Pay attention, you two!" Hikaru ordered, holding up his paddle.

"We won't go easy on you!" Kaoru warned them, like they were a threat.

Hikaru served the ball like he was playing a tournament, and Kyouya batted it back calmly. Every time the brothers hit the ball, they acted so seriously. And each time Kyouya smacked it back nonchalantly, Kiiro wasn't even able to hit it once, even when it was thrown to her, Kyouya would hit it before it came too close.

"H-hey!" she protested. "I'm playing too!" she felt like a toddler, upset because Kyouya wouldn't share.

"I know." he said simply, returning the ball to the Hitachiins without a sweat. "But you have no hand-eye coordination."

"But I can do it!" she whined.

"Suit yourself." Kyouya withdrew his paddle.

Kiiro aimed for the ball, and glanced it, sending it sideways, she proceeded to borrow Tamaki's corner of woe.

* * *

After another half hour of playing the club decided to retire. Kiiro, however wasn't very tired, "I wish they didn't have to repair the screen for the baths, I'd love to have another soak." she sighed.

"You know, the mixed bath is still open." Kyouya told her.

She perked up, "Oh! Good idea! I bet no one's there this time of night!" she cheered, heading for the baths again.

* * *

She relaxed in the water, towel wrapped around her again, her hair splayed out on the water's surface. The heat and the steam made her feel cleansed, and all of her aches, pains and worries just slipped away.

She heard a disturbance in the water, and opened her eyes to make out a figure in the steam. She frantically pulled her towel tighter, planning her retreat.

"It's okay, it's just me." the figure spoke.

"Kyouya?" she could see him now, blurred without her lenses. She relaxed, "Wait, how is that any better?" she snarked.

He chuckled, making his way over to her, "I promise not to try anything perverted." he offered his pinky.

"I know you wouldn't." she hid her blush, locking pinkies with him.

"You're quite trusting." he smirked.

"Well, I just know you wouldn't do something like that." she smiled, settling back.

"No, you're right." he replied. "Unless you wanted me to." he chuckled darkly.

Her cheeks lit up, "Kyouya!" she splashed him.

He splashed back, "It's always amusing to toy with you, Kiiro."

"Is it? Glad to be of service." she laughed.

After a moment of silence, which Kiiro spent desperately trying to ignore the fact that she and Kyouya wore nothing more than towels, Kyouya spoke up, "You know, you could have asked me to come here with you. I would have accepted. And we wouldn't have towed the rest of those idiots here with us."

"No way! That's too embarrassing!" she defied. "You're a boy!" again she reminded herself of a toddler.

"That doesn't seem to be bothering you right now." he pointed out, meeting her eyes.

It suddenly felt even hotter in the bath, there was something about his look that terrified her and intrigued her all at the same time. He looked so different without his glasses, more intense, perhaps. His eyes caught her again, like earlier, trapping her in his gaze. She felt like she would melt, and she felt electric.

He touched her hand beneath the water, making her jump, "I'd like to, but it's too early for that." he stated.

"What?" she puzzled. "Too early for what?"

He smiled, so genuine, "Just be quiet for a few minutes, Kiiro." he hushed her, hand wrapping around hers.

She opened her mouth to protest him further, but decided to just enjoy the moment. 'If I troubled myself over every cryptic thing he said...' she thought. '...I'd never get anything done.'

* * *

The next day, after breakfast, they headed out to explore Kyoto again. This time as a group. And Kiiro had to admit, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. There was minimal bickering, and everyone seemed much calmer than normal. A quality that could maybe be attributed to the soothing hot springs. They explored stands and shops aplenty, Haruhi had her try a variety of pickled things over the course of the day, which she found mostly too strange to pass up, she talked Haruhi into letting her buy her some souvenirs, they went to an arcade and became and she and Hani became a little obsessed with the highly-addictive DDR game there, and they revisited the cat cafe upon Kiiro, Hani and surprisingly Mori's urging. And in the meanwhile the other boys sat back and perhaps noticed that the two girls had bonded just a little bit. Which was a good thing, even if Haruhi stayed the same.

When they returned to the ryokan it the sun was setting, they ate, bathed (in their respective bath this time as the screen had been repaired), and headed outside to watch the fireworks.

"You know I had quite a bit of fun these past two days." Kiiro smiled as the sky lit up with purples, blues and reds. "Even if you all invited yourselves." she stuck her tongue out at Kyouya.

"It wouldn't have been as fun without us." he retorted, glasses reflecting the exploding colors above them.

"We ought to do this again sometime." she giggled, lying back in the grass.

"And try the mixed bath again." he smirked.

She reddened, "Well...maybe." she turned her head away from him and his chuckle.

* * *

Kiiro fell back on her bed, sighing, "I should have stayed longer..."

"Mistress Kiiro," one of her maids stood in her doorway. "Master Kyouya is here to see you."

"Really?" she slumped, sitting up. "I only just say him yesterday... Thank you, would you let him in, please?"

The maid bowed, receding down the hallway.

Kiiro waited for him to come to her room, to depressed from her vacation ending to move. When he did get there...

"Kyouya, is that a cat carrier?" she perked up, confused and excited.

"Interesting story, Kiiro." he invited himself in, closing the door behind him, "Before I left Kyoto, I ran into the owner of that cat cafe, and she was telling me that they had picked up a stray kitten not too long ago that they just didn't have room for. They were going to send him to a shelter, but I told her that I knew someone who would love him." he set the carrier down on the ground, opening it.

A little, black kitten stuck his head out, examining his surroundings.

"His name is Noel."

Kiiro could barely contain herself, she slowly went over to the adorable kitten. But, he was very affectionate and met her halfway. After spending several minutes admiring Noel, she rushed to Kyouya, hugging him tightly, "He's so cute!" she squealed. "Thank you so much, Kyouya!"

He chuckled, "You're welcome, Kiiro." patting her head as Noel looped between his legs.


	15. Expositions and Haninozukas

Chapter Fifteen: Expositions and Haninozukas.

'Today may just be the day of my execution...' Kiiro thought. 'If so, then the question is: Do I accept that? Then of course, "To be or not to be?". And on whose terms, his or mine. To do it myself would grant me freedom over control... To let him do it is more dreary... Perhaps I'll be lucky and I'll live to see another sunrise?'

All the serious thought was thought under exaggerated circumstances. But, even though she knew they were exaggerated, her stomach jumped with every step closer to the door.

"Tamaki, if you're leading me to my death, I'll kill you." she said flatly, but sincere.

"Now, Kiiro, he isn't that bad." he chuckled as the Twins dragged her along.

"You've seen his devil eyes. There's murderous intent behind those!" she complained, squirming in the identical grip of the doppelgangers.

"Come on, Kiiro-senpai, murder isn't Kyouya-senpai's style." Kaoru pointed out.

"Yeah, there'd be too much of a mess to clean up afterward." Hikaru snickered.

Kiiro sighed.

Tamaki opened the door.

There, in the center of the bed, lay an inanimate lump of blankets, which one could safely assume was Kyouya.

"Kyouya! Doesn't this sound fun?" King cheered, bouncing up to the bump in the blanket, he held up a flyer. "The commoners don't have the cash to go on tours, hence the frequent such exhibitions to purchase such regional products at a special price! In addition to exotic products, they also gain a chance to experience the thrill of traveling! Ergo, we've decided to experience the commoner's culture to gain a better understanding of Haruhi!" he waggled the flyer before Kyouya's disturbed half-asleep form. "Let's go now!" he smiled along with the rest of the group, with the special exceptions of Mori and Kiiro, the latter of which was hiding behind Hikaru.

"Oh, by the way, in the interest of meeting the goals of our project, Haruhi won't be joining us today." the Twins explained.

Kyouya turned and gave them a horribly cold glance.

The boys shook him and tried to steal his blanket but he held on.

"Vacations are rare, how can you waste it by sleeping until the sun burns your bottom?!" Tamaki protested.

Kyouya sat up quickly, causing everyone to take a step backward in fear, "Listen up, I went to bed at five a.m." he said angrily. "Since it's a vacation, what's wrong with catching up on some sleep?" his cold words became utterly dark and wrathful. "Besides, who let you in? You sure have some guts!"

The boys looked scared, Kiiro took yet another silent step backward.

"Commoner's culture? Isn't it time you stopped with your childish games?" he snubbed. "If you really wish to go, then, do as you please..."

"Can we really do as we please?" Tamaki perked up, questioning.

Kyouya glared at him, then slumped back into sleep.

"He's nodded! The Demon King has granted us permission!" King interpreted.

"He's really nodded! It was definitely a nod!" the Twins seconded.

"I don't think it was a nod, guys!" Kiiro tried.

"You heard him, men! Let's dress him to the nines and bring him to the car!"

Kiiro sighed; "It's your funeral." she turned.

* * *

It was a bit overwhelming when they arrived at the commoner's mall. Tamaki dragged a still sleeping Kyouya on his back. There were billions of clothes stores and decor shops and stands and stalls with all sorts of things. The overwhelmingness of the place proved to be a problem. As soon as they stepped into the mall, everyone wanted to go somewhere different from the others, unfortunately, Kiiro was the only one who actually stopped herself from wandering off. Tamaki tried to round everyone up and sat Kyouya up against a pillar. But, after regaining control over the group, he led them away and left the bespectacled boy at his perch. Kiiro was about to remind them of the sleeping demon, but a little idea popped into her head.

'Just leave him here, he could use the rest. Plus, it could be a little revenge for messing you all those times.' She reflected on it. Of course, there would be consequence, but, it could be funny. With that Kiiro promptly turned on her heel and sprinted off to where the group was.

The mall was a little bit of a marvel, she tried ice creams and looked at all the mass produced clothes and visited all the little animals in the pet shop, wondering whether or not to buy Noel a friend, but then deciding against it because Noel was already a handful. Overall, it was fun, but perhaps she should have made a different decision earlier, because consequence followed her everywhere. When Hani finally asked where Kyouya was, Kiiro thought she might have a heart attack.

* * *

_Ding! Dong! Dang! Dong! _The mall's loudspeaker sounded, "Attention shoppers, we are looking for a lost child." the announcer said into the microphone. Tamaki suggested that this was how lost people were found in big commoner places like this one. "Ootori Kyouya from Tokyo! Lost boy Kyouya Ootori! Your guardians, Mr. Tamaki and Ms. Kiiro are currently looking for you at the information counter on the second level. Little Kyouya is 1.81 meters tall and wears prescription glasses. He's currently penniless, so his guardians are very worried. If anyone sees him, please help him to the information counter on the second level."

* * *

"Kyouya! It's great to see you!" Tamaki blubbered as he ran over to Kyouya, who had just approached the information desk, surprisingly, with Haruhi in tow.

He turned to them with anger in his eyes, when he was able to call Tachibana, he had all of the boys tied to poles.

"Since you all like commoner's shopping complexes so much, you can stay here for a month!" he ordered. He reimbursed Haruhi for his lunch and a few other things, with Tamaki's money of course. Then, he took Kiiro by her wrist and led her out of the complex.

"Gah! Not cool, Kyouya!" she whined, "Let me go!"

"You know, Kiiro, Tamaki's an idiot, I would expect this sort of thing from him." he ignored her struggle. "But, I have a feeling that you left me there on purpose. Is my guess right?"

The color drained from her face, "U-um...?"

"Don't lie to me, you're a terrible liar." he said as he led her to his family's limousine.

She gulped, earning his chuckle, he moved his face closer to hers, "You owe me."

"No, I don't." she sat still, unable to break his fiery gaze.

"Yes, you do." he whispered next to her ear. Then, after a moment of silence, he bit her ear.

Electricity shot through her body, "Ow! Why'd you do that?!"

"You're lucky that's all I did." he said plainly. "Tachibana, would you drop us off at Kiiro's home?" he smiled. He looked over at her still red face, "You'll be getting a time out." he told her like she was a child. "Besides, I miss Noel."

* * *

Kiiro was back at school again and had gotten through her classes as usual that day, but then time for clubs came around and she geared herself up for the unexpected. She just had a feeling that something new was going to begin that day.

She was right.

As she, Kyouya and Tamaki made their way to Music Room Three from 2A, Kiiro was reassured in her feeling.

"Oh no! Chika has produced a weapon!" The Twins announced.

A boy who looked suspiciously like Hani stood before them, with glasses and a staff in hand.

"Hey! Hold up isn't that cheating!" Haruhi refereed.

"Wow, it's been a long time! They're really into it..." Tamaki observed.

Kyouya sighed, "Couldn't they have chosen a better place to do this?"

"Oh, is that him? The one you told me about?" Kiiro asked Kyouya.

"Tamaki-senpai... Kyouya-senpai... Kiiro-senpai... How can you be so indifferent?" Haruhi screeched.

From the smoke that had gathered before the boy, Kiiro could just make out Hani in midair. The other boy swung the staff and it connected with Hani's torso. The senior was flung backwards.

"And Hani-senpai's sent flying!" The Twins narrated. "Could this be Chika's first victory?"

"Finally... I got you..." Yasuchika claimed.

"No... Mitsukuni won..." Mori clarified.

The smoke cleared, Yasuchika Haninozuka's pant legs were pinned to the floor with shuriken, or ninja stars.

'Oh, I missed it.'

Hani got up and dusted himself off, looking as if nothing had even happened.

"Hani-senpai displayed his awesome skills with shuriken in an instant!" The Twins concluded. "Chika has been rendered immobile!"

Yasuchika fell to the floor before his older brother, "Dammit! I admit to my defeat!"

"Yeah, you need to work harder." Hani replied.

Tamaki and the Twins held up their fists.

Haruhi was still confused, "Er... hey! I'm still lost here... Who is this Chika?"

"Eh? Can't you tell by their faces?" Tamaki explained, "He is Hani-senpai's younger brother. Yasuchika Haninozuka."

"Oh!" Haruhi suddenly grasped the similarities in the boys' faces.

Kiiro heard footsteps going at top speed behind them, "Chika! Yasuchika!"

Another boy appeared, this one appeared to be Mori's younger brother, "How dare you skip club activities!" he scolded. He smacked Yasuchika across the face with a shinai, or a kendo practicing sword. Chika went flying.

"Satoshi." Mori interjected.

"Taka-bro!" Satoshi turned, "How's your day been? Are you going to the Kendo Club today?"

Mori patted his brother's head while Hani cried for Chika who had a giant knot on his head.

"And..." Tamaki gestured toward the Morinozukas'. "Introducing Mori's younger brother."

* * *

"Oh, so that's how it is!" Satoshi rubbed his head. "I was so sure Yasuchika had deliberately skipped his club activities, I got all worried. Whoops! Sorry about that bruise, Yasuchika!" He apologized to the brooding, younger Haninozuka.

'It's funny, they look a lot alike but, they really are complete opposites from their older brothers.'

"I'm sorry for bothering you senpai's!" Satoshi went on, "Ah! This tea and the cake are simply delicious!"

"Yasuchika! Would you like some cake as well?" Tamaki offered.

"I dislike any sweet stuff, got it?" the younger blond said coldly.

Satoshi smacked him on the head, again, "How dare you disrespect your senpai in such a manner..."

"Ah... Satoshi... I really didn't mind, seriously." Tamaki assured.

"No way! No luxuries are allowed here!" Satoshi explained, adamantly. "For hundreds of years we Morinozukas' have served the Haninozukas'. As this is my sworn duty, I cannot let Yasuchika grow up as a spoiled brat! Not even if death came my way! This is only for his own sake!"

"Speaking of spoiled brats, what about this one here..." The Twins held up Hani, who was smiling sweetly and clutching onto Usa-chan. "The Haninozuka Heir?"

"Mitsukuni is okay. Because my bro never commits any errors." Satoshi stood up. "Taka is the pride of the Morinozuka family! His strength is without equal and so is his kindness! And, despite this, he isn't arrogant! He is also selfless and a man of few words!"

"I thought is was because Mori-senpai didn't have much going on in his head, that he's a man of few words..." Hikaru commented.

"Isn't he thinking about food all the time?" Kaoru asked.

"You know, I've been thinking lately, Taka might be Japan's last, living samurai."

'That would be cool.'

"I think that bro needs a little wake up." Hikaru started pouring hot sauce in Satoshi's tea.

"Maybe putting hot sauce in his tea will help." Kaoru held the cup.

Kiiro sighed, "Boys, stop tha-!"

"Wow! Absolutely delicious tea!" Satoshi thumbs-upped.

'Holy crap, he drank that?'

"I'll tell you something. This raw embarrassment of a boy, the one called Mitsukuni, will never be the Haninozuka Heir." Yasuchika said from the sofa. "I wanted to talk about this earlier but... brother... I heard that last week the Karate Club requested you to attend a joint practice with Oyama High."

"Wasn't Oyama High the national champion for last year?"

"Didn't we attend one of their practice sessions before?"

"Yup! It was so cool. Hani-senpai was fighting a whole bunch of brutes, tearing them into pieces!"

"Um, Tono? Karate isn't like that at all..."

"But, it is kinda cool watching the strong guys in uniforms, right~?"

"Why..." Yasuchika tried. "Why do you have to be so irresponsible? Did you not quit the Karate Club for over a year? Even though the Haninozukas' are a noble family, we have been exceptionally brilliant in martial arts. Using every kind of martial arts, we learned and used them to create our own individual style. It hence becomes the duty of every Haninozuka male to learn Karate and Judo, as well as our own Haninozuka style... We are taught to fight fellow clan members whenever we meet, in a second, so that we are constantly on our guard... Brother you are really very strong... But the basic principle of the Haninozuka style is to throw your ego, and achieve selflessness! You have no right to bear the Haninozuka name... You, who have caved in to your selfish desires and have thus become corrupted! It's preposterous that you would offer to help the Karate Club, just for fun! Let this be the last time you dishonor the Haninozuka family name!"

Yasuchika received the hilt of the shinai this time.

Hani was silent.

"Is that all you can tell your older brother?" Satoshi scolded, pinching Chika's cheeks.

"Satoshi, you idiot! Cut it out!"

"You're the one who is wrong here!"

"You didn't have to get this mad." Yasuchika had tears in his eyes but he quickly rubbed them off. "Anyway, I'm warning you, Mitsukuni! Like I always say, stay away from me in school!" he ran out the door.

Satoshi followed, "What did you say, Yasuchika?"

"Hani-senpai?" Haruhi started.

"It's okay~. It was my mistake, anyways... But, I guess this means... Chika really does hate me now..."

Kiiro sighed, because the feeling in her nerves didn't go away, this episode might just drag out.

* * *

They were currently watching the Karate Club train. Or, spying on Yasuchika, who was currently being smacked by Satoshi.

"Hmmm... This is such a simple complex." The Twins analyzed.

"He's always being compared to his brother." Tamaki started. "Their great resemblance causes a stir, so he unnecessarily began detesting Hani-senpai... It's a common pattern. Even though his eyesight is fine, he wears glasses to look a little different from his brother."

"So typical, so boring. Let's go find something else to do." The Twins walked away.

"Hey, hey! You jerks! What's with the attitude! This was your idea! Right from the start I said, even if Hani-senpai's quitting of the Karate Club was not the main reason for Chika's hatred, if Chika himself doesn't want to unveil it, then it's none of our business! But, no, you guys said..."

The Twins turned, "Tono, you can't understand because you don't have siblings!"

"We cannot bear to watch two brothers for each others throats constantly! Right, Kaoru?" They initiated, "Brotherly Love".

"That's right, Hikaru! We must show Chika just how wonderful brotherly love is!"

"I doubt Chika wants that kind of love..." Kiiro said under her breath.

"That's what you guys said!" Tamaki screeched.

"But we thought Chika would be concealing something much more interesting..." the Twins sighed.

"It seems the 'reconciliation force' was just a front for them to dig up Chika's personal secrets for their personal entertainment..." Kyouya analyzed.

"They really are the worst jerks." Haruhi agreed.

Kiiro nodded.

"For example... maybe Chika had a suspicion that Hani-senpai was an alien from outer space." Hikaru guessed.

"Or maybe Chika actually has a crush on Mori-senpai...and he's burning with jealousy over how Mori-senpai showers affection on Hani-senpai." Kaoru hypothesized. "By the way if it was the latter, we'd have shown him this photograph." Kaoru produced a photo of the group with an affectionate-looking Mori in the middle of everyone. "And told him, "Relax! Mori-senpai treats everyone with equal affection!" That's what we're planning anyway."

"Obviously fake."

"And if it were the former?"

"No solution for that one, right?"

"You two are really..." King fumed. "Just what do you take Hani-senpai and Chika's feelings for anyway? Even Daddy's patience is wearing thin!"

The Twins covered their ears.

"Tama... It's okay..." Hani and Mori wandered onto the scene.

"Hani-senpai..."

"I don't mind... being hated by Chika..." his eyes were far away. "All I want is to see Chika grow up healthy and strong... That's all I want..." then, he began to float away.

'What the...?'

"I think you're the one who needs to grow more..." Hikaru stated.

"Yeah, you should really face the facts and worry about yourself..." Kaoru added.

"Oh no! No!" Tamaki cried. "Hani-senpai's being drawn away to the distant future! Everyone! Pull him back to the present!" They all reached for him.

"Optic fibers! Optic fibers!"

"Computer virus!"

"The rent is going up next month!"

"Haruhi! Is that true?" King cried.

They all yelled present-time-catchphrases.

"Excuse me..." Yasuchika appeared. "You guys are making a lot of noise..."

The group pulled Hani down quickly. Chika saw him.

"Mitsukuni... Didn't I tell you not to come near me in school... But anyway... en garde!" he threw a kick.

"YASUCHIKA!" Satoshi roared. He pulled on Chika's judo gi. "You! What do you think you're doing in the middle of club activities?"

"Satoshi, you fool..."

"Chika!" Hani tried as Chika fell. "Little bunny cushion save!"

"Urgh! Don't use such disgusting moves!" Chika Mighty Kicked Hani high into the air.

"Hani-senpai!"

* * *

At the middle school's Sick Bay, Hani-senpai laid unconscious on the bed.

"It appears he has a slight concussion." Kyouya explained. "He'll regain consciousness soon. Since, Mori-senpai will be staying by his side, I think it would be better if we all left."

"Oh, well if that's the case..." Tamaki sighed. "Did you hear that? It's good news isn't it Chika?"

"I'm sorry... I," Chika rubbed his eyes.

"Hey, you don't have to get so depressed."

"No... I'm such a fool... I thought his bunny rabbit... I mean... it was so ambiguous... I... Actually, I... I was terrified that my brother was an alien from outer space."

Kiiro nearly flat-lined. The Twins high-fived.

"What?!" Tamaki screeched at the idea.

"Didn't you guys ever wonder about it yourselves?" Chika defended. "It's not just the weird moves he uses! He once ate three whole cakes by himself! And that was after a huge dinner! And just recently, I happened to wake up suddenly in the middle of the night... and I noticed a light on in the dining room...! When I walked in he was eerily gobbling down cake! Isn't that scary! Isn't that scary! It's so bizarre! Is he really all that cute? Is he really that cute? It's disgusting!"

"Didn't know he was like that at home..."

"If you ask us, we wouldn't have the courage to live with someone like that..."

'Idiots...'

"What do you think his bunny really is?" Chika went on. "A cosmic radio receiver? Does he use it to communicate with outer space? Well? Just having to look like him is scary enough! But they want me to smile like him, too! Are they crazy? You want to become an airhead like that, too? Would you be satisfied if I stuck flowers in my background, too? Would that make you happy? What do you think he got in return for helping the Karate Club last week? Ice cream! The heir of the Haninozuka's will do anything for ice cream! Ahahahaha! Well, isn't that just swell? Let me at him! Can I strangle him this time? Can I?"

"Chika, calm down!"

Chika snapped out of it, "... But, anyway... to stop myself from flying into a rage again, I'll put my glasses back on."

"So that no one will say you look alike?"

"No. It's so Mitsukuni will be out of focus when I look at him with these corrective lenses."

'Um...'

"No! That's dangerous."

Satoshi spoke up, "I've told him countless times, this isn't something to get worked up over, is it? Yasuchika has a bit of an overly nervous constitution, you see... What's the big deal about eating a whole cake? Personally, I've eaten two at a go myself. They weren't all that sweet, though."

"Shaddup! You have no sense of taste!"

"But, to be surrounded by such dense people..." Kyouya started.

"Chika, the stress of loneliness, it must have really piled up..." Tamaki tried.

"But even so, we used to be really close... My brother still had a sweeter tooth than most and he loved cute things. But, there was a time when he decided to turn away from all that... Until some busybody had to step in and interfere... and told him that recognizing his true self was a form of strength, too. And, in one fell swoop, he completely lost his focus and became the alien he is now!"

"I see, so the origin of all of our problems lies with Tono, huh?" the Twins began.

"Come to think of it, didn't the Twins say there was no solution to this scenario?" Kyouya added pointedly.

"There is a solution." Mori and Hani entered the room.

"Mori-senpai... Hani-senpai."

"Chika-chan, I heard what you said." Hani started. "I'm sorry for everything. I never thought you hated sweet things that much~! But, even if I were to listen to you and live up to your expectations, it would still be pretty awkward between us, wouldn't it~? And, I'm really grateful to Tama-chan, because... I don't think I'd have been able to change so easily~."

Tamaki looked touched.

"That's why..." Hani began. "Let's take this outside, Yasuchika, and put an end to this the Haninozuka way."

* * *

The wind whipped around the hill where the battle was to take place. Both Haninozuka's stood, battle-ready.

"Okay, Chika, there'll be one round, if I win, I'm sorry, but, you're going to let me continue as I am now." Hani explained.

"And if I win?" Chika asked.

"I'll cut down on sweet stuff just a bit~!"

"Is that really a solution?"

"And, I'll stop eating in the middle of the night as much as possible~!"

"Got it."

"That's all."

"Are you ready?" Mori asked. "...Then, begin!"

"Chika! En garde!" Hani kicked but Chika dodged.

They turned to look at each other, Hani charged. Hani leaped, Chika sweeped and Chika was thrown. Hani drew his staff.

"Umm, is it me, or does this look exactly like the fight in front of the club room?" Tamaki asked.

"It's opposite, Hani-senpai has the staff." The Twins cleared.

"I think that's what Mitsukuni intended," Mori explained. "Yasuchika will probably be using his shuriken next." Chika threw shuriken. Hani dodged. "I've been watching their battles for years. Yasuchika will always copy whatever moves Mitsukuni used in their previous battle. Mitsukuni realized this a long time ago. So he comes up with ways to allow Yasuchika to use those moves. Even though he calls Mistukuni an alien. When it comes to martial arts, he truly respects Mitsukuni and clearly wishes to learn from him. Though they can't see eye to eye on most things, they still connect on the things that matter the most. Between brothers, that's enough, isn't it? That's what I think anyway. What's more... Don't worry about the outcome of the fight. Mitsukuni will probably let Yasuchika have the win..."

'Wow, I've never heard Mori talk so much.'

"Chika! This is it!" Hani kicked Chika's head.

"Um..." Kiiro hummed. "Did Hani-senpai just win?"

Mori wavered and fell to the ground.

"Mori-senpai, it's okay!"

"Yeah, bro, you were great!"

"I won~! Cake~! Cake~! Cake~!" Hani cheered.

"So his love for cake supersedes his love for his brother?"

"Damn it!" Chika huffed.

"Chika..." Hani comforted. "The first flying kick and dodge, the chain attack in the middle, it was pretty close for me too~! You've improved, Chika~!"

Chika's eyes widened, he smiled like a child who had just been told he was getting a new puppy. Kiiro swore she saw chicks flying around in his background, like Hani's flowers.

'Happy to make his brother proud.'

Chika's expression changed, "Shaddup! You think you're so great. I just lost concentration for a split second, if not for that-!"

Satoshi hit him with the shinai, "Don't be such a sore loser! If you're a real man, concede graciously!"

"Ouch! Ouch! You stupid Satoshi! Stop it! Waaaah!" Chika cried and the chicks reappeared. "St-stop it! I hate you, Satoshi!"

"Oh no..." Satoshi looked stricken. "I wasn't that mad... Don't cry, please!"

Chika rubbed the tears from his eyes, "Remember this, Mitsukuni! Next time, I'll win and send you crashing down from space!"

"Could it be... that Chika actually has Hani-senpai's character deep down inside..." Tamaki muttered as Chika ran away, Satoshi not so far behind.

'Well, at least that's over. But, for some reason, I can't get that alien theory out of my mind...'

Hani picked up his rabbit.

"He's communicating."

"Definitely communicating..."


	16. Lobelia Again, Memory and Bossanova

Chapter Sixteen: A Back-Again Enemy, Remembering and Bossanova!

Misfortune always befalls you when you least expect it.

"Hm." Kiiro hardly recognized the sigh. "Kiiro, wake up."

"No..." she became only slightly aware.

"Get out of bed."

"Cant. Too tired." she whispered, she reached out and pulled the cord to the bed's curtains. They fell around the bed, encasing her in red. She smiled, like it would actually shut him out.

Kyouya only joined her on the bed, he shook her, "You owe me, Kiiro, I haven't forgotten the mall incident, we're going to Haruhi's house, you're coming along, get up."

"Go home, Kyouya, why do people keep letting you into my house?" she curled up on her side, burrowing into her covers, trying to go back to sleep. The covers moved and she held onto them. But, this time, he didn't yank them from her. No, he got under the blankets with her. "Kyouya?"

He easily pulled her until she lay on her back, and he put one leg on either side of her hips, one hand holding down one of hers, "If you don't wake up now..." he smirked. "I'll have to do something more...thorough." he placed his free hand on her hip.

Her face was on fire, she tried to scoot out from under him, "Kyouya? Why do you always pick on me?"

"You're fun to pick on." he smiled.

"Fine. I'm getting up." she squirmed. "Get out of my room."

"Good." he snickered.

* * *

"Haruhi~! Let's go play~!" The Club greeted when the door to number 203 was opened.

But, this time Ranka stood at the door, unshaven and dressed sloppily in a shirt that said 'Father', "What?"

"Terribly sorry, we got the wrong house..." Tamaki turned.

Ranka grabbed his jacket, "Don't give me that 'Oops, I caught a transvestite without his makeup on and seen something I shouldn't have' look! I haven't had the chance to shave since I woke up this morning!"

"Why, it's Miss Ranka! How lovely, as alwa..." Tamaki tried to save himself.

Ranka took the box in his hands and floated by him onto the other boys, "Long time no see, boys! How have you been? Oh, Haruhi's not in, early this morning some girlfriends of hers came for her..."

The Twins, King and Hani looked dejected, "Oh, so Haruhi goes out with her middle school friends every once in a while, huh?"

"A bit hard to believe though, isn't it...?"

"Didn't I say that popping in without warning was a bad idea?" Kyouya patronized.

"I've never met the kids who came this morning before though... I really had no idea she had friends from the prestigious Lobelia Academy." Ranka went back inside.

'What?'

"Lo...belia?" The Twins and King said darkly.

* * *

They were currently standing outside of Saint Lobelia Academy, the Twins were trying to climb over the fence.

Tamaki, suddenly, announced, "Haruhi's scream!"

'I didn't hear anything.'

"What's up, Tono?"

"ESP report, just in?"

"I didn't hear anything~..."

"No... I'm certain I sensed something just now, like 'overriding fear'." King explained.

"Hey, that's a great idea!" The Twins climbed onto Tamaki's back. "Since the outer walls are so high, we'll just override you to get over."

"Gaaaah! Get off me you two!"

"Hey you guys!" Ranka scolded. "This is no time to fool around! If you underestimate the Zuka Club, you'll live to regret it!"

"You're one to talk, Papa Ranka! Following us here in that ridiculous outfit!" The Twins said snobbishly.

"Hey, Haruhi gave me this shirt for Father's Day, don't make fun of it!"

Kiiro could tell that Tamaki and the Twins wanted one just like it then.

"There wasn't time to change after I heard that the ones who took Haruhi were from the Lobelia Zuka Club!"

'But, he did have time to shave.'

"Listen, about this Zuka Club, it's like an addiction! Once it grabs hold of you, you'll never be free of it, even to the point of bankruptcy!"

"Somehow, I don't think Haruhi is the type to get addicted to anything."

"And why do you know so much about this~?"

"That's because, Kotoko too, she was a really cool girl, nothing could faze her."

"Kotoko?"

"That's Haruhi's late mother, isn't it?"

"When we first got married, we were so happy that I didn't realize it. Everyday, she'd only serve Mezashi as a dish. I heard it was high in calcium anyway."

"Mezashi, never eaten that before."

"That's what salted dried sardines are called."

"But one day, while I was cleaning the house I found it, Kotoko's huge Zuka Club collection."

"This is bad! What if Haruhi's inherited her mom's fetish?"

"Bankruptcy?"

"Oh no! But, Haru doesn't have a fortune to lose in the first place!"

"It's okay, her cuteness is her fortune!"

A shiver went down their spines.

"Kyouya! Get us some Lobelia uniforms on the double! We'll disguise ourselves and sneak into-!"

Ranka kicked Tamaki in the back, "Denied! Guys who don't do it for a living shouldn't cross-dress! It's disgusting! You'll have absolutely no finesse! You think my jobs easy?"

From under Ranka's shoe Tamaki whined, "Bu-but readers want to see us in female dress..."

"Realizing the dreams of young ladies isn't always the kindest thing to do! Got it? If you wanna get Haruhi back, then listen to me... I have a plan..."

* * *

'It seems that half of the time I'm with the Club, we're spying on someone or other.'

The Club, excluding Kyouya and including Ranka, were peering into the windows of what appeared to be a rehearsal, all in "Beni-bara" t-shirts pretending to be part of their fan club.

"Is Haru-chan in there~?"

"Um, well..."

"What's happening~?"

"Looks like she's playing the part of the heroine in a tragic drama, but... her acting is horrendous."

Haruhi read from her script, her words were choppy and distinct, her actions near robotic and expressions nonexistent.

"Why doesn't someone in there do something?"

"How could anyone even think that Haruhi can act?"

"She's just too honest a child to be able to act..."

"The Zuka Club performances consist of Drama and Musicals, right? Acting is bad enough, but singing and dancing on top of it..."

"Haruhi's trying to sing!"

"No way, that girls always been hopeless at music!"

Haruhi's lips and the words didn't match up.

"It's dubbed, isn't it?"

"Yep! It sure sounds dubbed!"

"So she's really just lip-syncing."

"Well, since she has absolutely no sense of rhythm, I'd say I'm relieved."

"At this rate, the actual performance will be a disaster..."

"New people! Get back in line!" One of the Officials of the Fan Club yelled. "If you guys want to be in the Benibara Club, then you'll jolly well follow our rules! Wandering off is prohibited! As fans of Lady Benibara, we must be on our best behavior at all times! Right we'll rehearse the unison greeting! 'Lady Benibara have a good day today!' Go!"

The Club followed suit.

"Ranka, was this part of our plan?"

"'If we want to get close to the Zuka Club, we must first get the support of the fans.' In an all-girl environment, they do a lot of sports and physical activities, you know! If we aim for the leader straight off, we might not live to tell the tale!"

"Okay! Take a short break!" the official ordered.

Three young ladies approached the group, "What do you guys like about Lady Benibara?"

'Nothing.' Kiiro thought sarcastically.

"I really hate men, but if you guys are fans of Lady Benibara, I'll welcome you with open arms!"

Ranka took that as his cue, "Hmmm, it has to be her graceful poise and beautiful singing voice and the shape of her head~!"

Kiiro absentmindedly nodded, 'Where the hell is Kyouya? He drags me out of bed just so he can disappear, huh? This episode is giving me a hard time, I thought I was going to have a half-normal day at Haruhi's house. I should of just ignored him. I could be in bed right now. Actually, I should remind everyone in the house to never let Kyouya in while I'm sleeping. Ever.'

By the time she came out of her thoughts, a new ambition was running through the boys' blood. They ran off to save Haruhi in an instant.

"Gaah! Wait for me!"

"It's not our fault you were caught up in daydreaming, Kiiro-senpai!" Hikaru criticized.

"Yeah, keep up!" Kaoru added.

* * *

This time, they were in the auditorium. The stage was all set up for the play.

"The facilities are really good."

"Looks like during the actual performance there'll be an orchestra over there~!"

"By the way... just how long are we supposed to wear these stupid t-shirts?"

"Come to think of it where's Kyouya?" Ranka turned.

"I was wondering when you all would notice that." Kiiro added.

"Oh yeah, I haven't seen him since..."

As if on cue, Kyouya made his way down the aisle of the Auditorium. "It's really an honor to have young master Ootori visit our humble school... Please let me show you to a seat with a good view..." the woman next to him said.

'I hate him. I hate him and I'm gonna kill him.' Kiiro concluded, wondering why she got left with the club while he went off to charm the staff.

"It's Haruhi." Mori said.

Haruhi was on the stage in an old-fashioned dress with a curly, black wig on.

"My! What an adorable costume."

"Which one! Which one! Kyouya toss over that opera glass!" Tamaki hurried.

"Haru-chan looks so cute in that dress~!"

'She has really thick makeup.'

The entirety of her cheeks were pink, her lips were red and her eyelids were purple.

"What should we do? I want to run away and cry." Hikaru sniffled.

"Dammit! I'll go put an end to this!" King claimed.

"Stop right there!" Ranka pulled on his shoulder. "Look! Look at her face! Doesn't she seem more lively than she did in the practice room?"

"You're right, her cheeks are rosy, too."

"That's the blush." the Twins countered.

"And, she's sweating profusely."

"Stage lights." they rebutted.

"I see..." Tamaki's eyes were clear. He accepted defeat. "If Haruhi has chosen to give it her all... Then, we have no right to stop her. There's no need to save her. I think it's time we went home."

"We're finally at the kissing scene~!" a girl squealed. "The forbidden lovers exchange a deep kiss during a short rendezvous! Look! They're being raised onto a platform!"

Haruhi and Benibara, or Benio, almost kissed.

Tamaki's expression changed completely, "Haruhi! Don't!"

"Tamaki-senpai? What are you doing there?!" she shouted.

Haruhi teetered off the platform, not used to her high heels.

'Oh no!'

"Haruhi!"

She was luckily caught on a big pillow.

"Well, well, well," Benio began. "Our vulgar and inefficient friends from the Host Club are here! And all in uniform no less! You've certainly put in a lot of hard work, running about in this sweltering heat!"

"We caught you all on camera from the moment you stepped into the school!" Hinako laughed.

"Those acting as family retainers, observe carefully... This is what I have said countless times not to do." Benio instructed. "This is an example of 'men who flounder about, getting all hot and bothered while trying to tear apart the two lovers'"

"How unsightly!"

"They have no depth of character!"

"When you said, 'Act Gallant', you meant for us to avoid this, didn't you Lady Benibara?"

"Exactly so, you may be playing the role of a man, but there is no reason to act out the sordidness of male behavior. We must constantly present ourselves as the gallant, beatific man of our young ladies' dreams."

"Yes! Lady Benibara!"

"Thank you for your guidance!"

All the boys, excluding Kyouya, sulked. Kiiro just shook her head.

"Girlie, forgive me." Benio addressed Haruhi. "In order to allow these inexperienced actors to learn from a negative example so that they could develop their characters well, I placed you in a difficult position. But, we really do want you to join our club! You can continue on in the part of the Heroine!"

"I think I'll pass on that and just go home..."

* * *

"That was exhausting..." Kiiro sighed as she got back into Kyouya's car, having long before trashed that trashy fanclub t-shirt.

"It was." Kyouya agreed.

"What do you mean?" she huffed, crossing her arms. "You disappeared for half the day. Lucky."

"I didn't see any reason to run around in the hot sun all day." he smiled, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh, but you didn't feel like telling anyone else about your plan?"

"Exactly." he smirked.

She sighed again, "I wish we'd just stay in my bed."

His eyes grew a little wide, he raised an eyebrow.

She realized what she said and sat completely still, infinitely embarrassed.

He leaned in a little closer to her, "Kiiro?"

"It just slipped out!" her face grew hot as he watched her try to redeem herself. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"Did you?" he laughed. "You know, if it was a slip, you were subconsciously thinking it."

"No! I wasn't." the last part was a whisper.

He cupped her chin, making her freeze, "Don't lie to me, Kiiro. You're a horrible liar."

"So I've been told. Kyouya...?"

The silence hung over them, she sat like a mouse before a hungry cat. Their lips mere centimeters apart. She could feel her pulse quicken, something nervous in her stomach. He moved just a little closer. Then, the car stopped at her house. He pulled back and smiled, wickedly.

"Goodbye, Kiiro, try not to dream about me too much." he said arrogantly.

"I won't dream of you at all ever." she retorted, child-like. "Goodbye, Kyouya."

* * *

Something about Kyouya had always astounded Kiiro. She could be a cold-hearted person but, Kyouya could be strictly evil. Granted, she had hardly ever been the one to receive that evil glare or tone of voice other than those times when she had tried to wake him up when he was still tired, but she knew it was there. He could use it with people that he had no business with, or those who could give him no gain in life. And, he always had ulterior motives. He would do something "selfless" if only to look good in the eyes of somebodies family or in the mind of his father. Kiiro couldn't blame him, she had never wanted her family's company, Kyouya however had always wanted to be his Father's heir. It seemed highly unlikely that he would be, being the youngest, but, he was always making it easier and easier to see that outcome. He could easily look out at a group of people and dominate, without any of them knowing in most cases. He almost always held the reigns. He could manipulate, influence and intimidate without batting an eye. It was in his nature. If you came upon the Club as it was presently, you might be fooled into thinking that Tamaki was the King. A lot of people do, but, a lot of people are wrong. Kyouya Ootori holds all the power, if something goes against his will, he could easily eradicate it. All it takes is to influence Tamaki into choosing a different theme, to intimidate the Twins into not doing what they are about to do or to manipulate Kirro into thinking or doing differently than she would have otherwise.

But, it is also true that Kyouya used to be much worse, Kiiro is always forgetting to thank Tamaki for that difference.

When Tamaki moved into Japan, Kyouya was even a little resentful of him. How could the bastard son of a mistress inherit a whole Empire overnight? Who could ever be that lucky? The boy did nothing to deserve it. Kyouya was locked in place, stuck between showing his own potential, trying to succeed in his Father's eyes and not outshining those around him, because you cannot blow out someone's candle without someone getting angry. Kyouya wanted to make this boy believe that he was a good friend, Suoh's best friend. It would be a great victory for Kyouya if he were to succeed, the Suohs' would be powerful allies. If he could just snag their heir, checkmate. What Kyouya didn't understand was Tamaki, though.

Tamaki may seem princely and perfect, but he is also dense and selfless, honest and determined, which always seem to be four vexing characteristics to cunning and conniving characters like Kyouya. To underestimate Tamaki is to lose both the battle and the war. You must start all over, and try, try again. Too bad that it's exhausting, it's a game you can't afford to lose. There must be a lot of hard work put into it, careful planning and clever timing.

This was exactly where Kyouya went wrong. It doesn't take any planning at all. Tamaki would be best friends with a random commoner if he had the chance. He would give an arm if it would help a stranger in need. He would fight his hardest for people he didn't know, as long as he deemed their battle worthy and righteous. He falls easily to people who open up, jumps to help those with a touching back story.

Kyouya tried to win him over at first by staying up all night planning trips all over Japan for Tamaki. Suoh was ready to go sight seeing, see all of his Father's Japan, even if it was a little exaggerated. It was over thought of on Kyouya's part, Tamaki's denseness got in the way of the plans executing. When he told Suoh of his plans to go to Hokkaido, Tamaki replied, "Kyouya, I know you really love to have fun, but final exams are really soon, don't you think we should focus on studying right now? I mean, we can always go after exams, you know? You ought to get some studying done."

Kiiro remembered hearing about that one, Kyouya was furious when they live-chatted on their laptops. Over two and a half years later she would meet Tamaki Suoh, and would still be Kyouya's confidant when he was extremely angry or felt offended.

"I can't believe he did that! Just last week he was going on and on about Hokkaido! He was the one who told me that we should go this weekend! The stuck-up prat! He's the biggest airhead I've ever met." Kyouya fumed.

"Don't lose control, Kyouya. If he's that dense, just forget about it. He sounds like he's more trouble than he's worth." Kiiro-then-Alona replied, trying to hide her surprise, it was the first time she had ever seen him riled up about anything.

"You don't understand, Alona, he's a very valuable piece."

"He's not a pawn, like in chess, he's a person. Remember that, it might help."

"Help how? He's the biggest idiot, how can someone that dumb be human?"

"You'd be surprised."

Tamaki also has the ability to read through anyone like a book, no exceptions. He read Kyouya just as easily, and to the Ootori's surprise for even he hardly knew it at the time, he was right. And, that was exactly when Kyouya slipped up, his facade fell for only a moment, but that moment was just enough for Tamaki to get through to him. Kyouya had all this time restrained himself behind his mask, but, Tamaki made him realize that, if he truly wanted to, he could take off that mask and be better than all of his siblings combined. No longer would he be looked down on for being the third son, if he gave it his all he could definitely give anybody a run for their money. It was easy, so very easy. Kyouya took off his mask that day, and Tamaki had won him over. But, even Tamaki had no idea what he had released. That mask held back Kyouya, The Shadow King.

Kiiro can remember thinking, 'Suoh's created a monster.'

And that my friends, is also how the Host Club was born. Out of Tamaki's love of making people smile, and Kyouya's unwitting willingness to go along with what the boy wanted.

As Kiiro lie in her pillow pit remembering all of this, _Blee-deedal-dee!_

"Hello, Kyouya." she said mockingly.

"I just called to remind you to stop daydreaming about me and study for that quiz we have tomorrow." he chuckled.

"Kyouya, it's impossible to daydream a nightmare." she countered, smugly.

He was snide, "You think you're so clever, it's amusing, really." she could sense the smile in his words.

"There is a difference between thinking it and knowing it, dear." she laughed.

"Keep it up, with all that arrogance, you're getting deeper and deeper into debt with me."

"Oh, really? Who's daydreaming now?" she grinned.

"I'm not the one that wants me in their bed."

"I never said that!" the heat rose into Kiiro's cheeks.

"Oh, but you thought it?" she could feel his smirk. "I'm not going to judge you, Kiiro, just admit it."

"No! Stop that!" she whined.

"Stop what?" he asked plainly. "You'll need to be more clear, Kiiro."

"That thing you do."

"What thing?"

"That one. You're toying with me." she sat up, pouting.

"Not yet, I'm not." he said in his silkiest voice.

"That one!" Kiiro blushed a deeper red. "And what is that supposed to mean?!"

"What's wrong, Kiiro? Was it something I said?"

"Yes!"

"I could have meant anything, stop speculating." he snickered. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

"I would have seen you there." she muttered.

"Don't think I didn't hear that."

"Didn't hear what?"

"You can't turn the tables. Now you're the one who's toying with me."

"Is this the part where I say, "Not yet." and growl?" she asked, sarcasm abundant.

"Oh, it's getting late." he faked a yawn. "Won't you stop pestering me at this time of night? And, do try to stop dreaming of me in your bed, Kiiro."

"I'm going to kill you..." she muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." she chirped.

"Good." he laughed. "Goodnight, Kiiro."

"Goodnight, Evil Shadow Lord." she said in sing-song, quickly snapping her phone shut, to avoid his wrath. 'He drives me crazy...' she thought with a sigh, holding her phone to her chest. In spite of their subject matter, Kiiro found herself laughing at what he had said.

* * *

"Welcome!" the Shinsengumi greeted.

A group of the Samurai Police Force entertained the ladies today. They dressed in loose kimono))) tops and pants, with long ribbons tied around their heads, they had ponytail extensions worked into their hair and katanas strapped to their hips. Kiiro smiled, always an admirer of Bushido.

"Tamaki-sama! You're cosplaying as Ryoma Sakamoto, right~?"

"Exactly, he's someone I deeply respect... After all, not only did he seek to bring about reform without bloodshed, his visionary way of thinking was years ahead of his time. He became a key figure of the revolution." Tamaki trapped his clients with his intense gaze, "Thy heart wilt surely succumb to me!"

The guests were silently squealing.

"I never thought a Bakumatsu theme would go over so well with everyone." Haruhi mused.

"What? It's one of the pillars of romantic fantasy."

"Practically every girl swoons at the romance of the Bakumatsu Era. They especially love the Shinsengumi."

"Why were they so popular? Is it their noble youthfulness; living for their country and dying for their beliefs? Or is it their unflinching stoicism bred by years of following the strictly disciplined life of the warrior? Or was it..."

"...the attraction of what is forbidden...? They were after all, a veritable band of rogues." The Twins, sprinkled on a bit of 'sadness' in their speech.

"It seems a lot of girls listen to Miss Maniac, huh~?"

Miss Maniac being Renge, who Kiiro was currently sitting next to. Renge went on and on about the history of the Shinsengumi. Every other second, Renge would turn to her and say, "Right, Art Director?" and Kiiro, absentmindedly would reply, "Exactly."

"Yes... That's why I didn't want word of our plans to get about..." Kyouya explained. "This way, rather than letting her impose her lousy casting abilities on us, we can let the rest of our customers fantasize about which Shinsengumi we are, according to their own fancy."

"Haruhi is definitely Soji Okita!" Renge stated. "Right, Art Director?"

"Exactly."

"He suits the role of the romantic, doomed young warrior so well!"

"Haruhi! You mustn't die!" Tamaki cried.

The Twins and King began leering at her. 'Which isn't a rare thing anymore.'

Mori abruptly cut at the curtain behind him with his spear.

"Mori-senpai, what's wrong?"

"Mori-senpai, you're also a shining star in my heart, there's no need to get desperate." Tamaki was dramatic.

"No..." Mori looked down. "We have an intruder."

A boy sat back on the floor, he had an intense glare and long, red hair, "Hrnh? Takashi Morinozuka!" he ran at Mori, throwing off his jacket, rolling up his sleeves.

"He's gonna attack!"

"Watch out, Mori-senpai!"

The boy stopped, "Senpai! Please let me... be your disciple!" his arm had 'I live to worship Takashi Morinozuka.' printed on it.

* * *

"Ritsu Kasonoda, from 1D, son of the chief of the Kasanoda family, the most powerful clan in the Kanto Region." Kyouya read his file. "Entered Ouran at the High School level. Defining characteristics are long, red hair and mean expression. Being reticent, he has no friends. If you meet his eyes, you'll have nightmares for three months. Hit him and you'll land yourself in the Hospital. Talk back to him, and he'll send you straight to hell. Those unfortunate enough to be his classmates have all been chilled to the bone."

"N-Ne, Kyouya?" Kiiro held up a hand. "Where do you even get that kind of information?" she puzzled.

"So, why exactly would someone as formidable as you want to become Mori-senpai's disciple?" Tamaki asked from his spot on the floor, he and the Twins sat around the new boy.

"The Kasanoda's-" Ritsu began.

"Casanova?" the Twins asked.

"No, it's Kasanoda."

"Bossanova?"

'How did they get that?'

"It's Kasanoda, you dumbasses! You gotta deathwisha somethin'?" he glared at them.

They seemed to ice over for a moment.

'That wasn't nice.'

"Wait, that's not what I meant just... I'd really rather avoid pain and violence. My tattoo is just marker, and this scratch is from a cat." he pointed to the bandage on his cheek. "But, 'cuz I'm so shy, I don't know how to go about making friends with people. Instead, I accidentally end up glarin' at 'em. The truth is, I really just want to hang out with friends and play 'Kick the Can' or play catch with friends on the beach." Bossanova explained.

"I'm getting really thirsty." the Twins proclaimed.

'Well, they've lost interest.'

"His complete lack of friends has resulted in his not being able to keep up with the times and culture of a normal teenager." Kyouya half-heartedly analyzed.

'Not his problem, I guess.'

"Morinozuka-senpai! You must tell me! How is it that someone like you, with your lifeless eyes, wooden expression, antisocial character, and a face that looks like it belongs on a guard dog of hell, how do you even get people to like you?"

Mori turned to stone.

'Ouch.'

"Please, share your secret with me!"

The Twins were hysterically laughing. As Mori fell over they cried, "Okay, you can be his disciple!"

'No one cares what Mori-senpai thinks?'

* * *

The next day, Bossanova was in the Club Room again. He was staring intensely at Mori and his guest.

'Observing, I guess.'

"Big brother," Bossanova lumbered up to Mori. Looking rather scary. "There's dust on your shoulder." he brushed it off.

The girls were frightened, "We'll just be leaving now!"

"Hmm, the future looks pretty bleak if this keeps up. He's scaring away all the customers." Hikaru whined.

'That's kind of their fault.'

"Tono, aren't you going to do something about him?" Kaoru asked.

"No. Just let him be." He sighed. "He's Mori-senpai's disciple. We should really stay out of it."

'That doesn't sound like something Tamaki would do.'

Mori looked over at King, "Tamaki...", with a look that said, "Help."

"Well, okay! Since Mori-senpai asked so nicely! I, Tamaki Suoh, will endure the fires of hell just to help you!" he rubbed the back of his head, acting as if he hadn't planned on helping after all.

'He can't help but interfere.'

"Listen up! The differences between you and Mori-senpai may be as vast as an ocean... Bossanova, I give you leave to call me 'King' for now! But, the one thing that you so obviously lack is an adorable accessory!" King sprung to action, striking his trademarked pose.

'What?'

"Please may I turn your attention to exhibit A! The adorable accessory: 'Mitsukuni'!" he gestured towards Hani. "He's powered by 10 cakes a day! And, if you order now, you get him with 100 flowers attached for free!"

'Only four payments of $19.95?'

"At first glance, Mori-senpai may seem like a cold and lifeless figure. But! Look at him now with 'Mitsukuni' attached! It's like looking at a lovely Koala clinging to it's favorite tree! What's more, this accessory truly compliments Mori-senpai's reticent personality! By pairing him with the effervescent Hani-senpai, people will automatically have the impression that Mori-senpai has a tolerant and patient character! Even his 'antisocial character' will be interpreted in a more positive light, 'A serious and mature man of few words.' It is absolutely no exaggeration to say that the basis of Mori-senpai's charm is Hani-senpai!"

'It makes perfect sense.'

Even Kyouya was impressed by Tamaki's character analysis.

"Takashi, have you been using me?" Hani had tears in his eyes.

Mori shook his head vigorously.

"That being said, Mitsukuni has a long-term contract with Mori-senpai. I'll need to find a substitute for you, in the meantime, we need to do something about that hoodlum fashion sense of yours." he snapped. "Kiiro, Hitachiin brothers!"

"Aye, sir!"

"Hmm... I think we really need something to bring out the sharpness of his features... something eye-catching." Hikaru began.

"Hrnh?"

"Well, since his name is 'Bossanova', why don't we give him something with a good samba feel to it?" Kaoru suggested.

"Hrnh?"

"My apologies, Bossanova, even with me here, these two are bound to get carried away." Kiiro smiled sweetly.

"Hrnh?"

The Twins went off in a storm, "These sloppy clothes have really got to go! They don't reflect well on the character at all! He needs something that will give him more character, something fancy that'll bring out the fun side of him, don't you think?"

* * *

The new look didn't help at all, the Twins had gone more than a bit over the top, dreadlocking his hair, giving him sunglasses and a warm scarf, they even called in Shirou as a sort of stand-in adorable accessory. So, they were back to square one.

"All right my good people, assemble!" Tamaki ordered. "As of today, the battle to reinvent Bossanova's image begins in earnest! As this is our first day, I know everyone must be anxious, but stay calm! Let the ideas flow!"

"Yessir!" the Twins saluted.

"Stop pretending like yesterday didn't happen! Because of you fools I had to suffer so much humiliation!" Bossanova screamed.

"Ha? What's that? What's with the false accusations?" they asked.

"Bossanova, don't misunderstand. It is our sincere desire to help you!" Tamaki explained. "Yesterday was just a slight mistake brought about by the playful immaturity of the Twins and Shirou." he placed a hand on the harsh boy's shoulder.

"What the heck?"

"I'm sorry, please do as you see fit." Bossanova said.

"Um, Casanova, I really think it'd be best if you took everything those guys say with a large pinch of salt." Haruhi explained.

Kiiro chuckled. 'It's true.'

"You could put your foot down if there's something you really don't want to do."

Kiiro was trying to help think up ideas of adorable accessories when, "Oho?"

"Hm? What is it, Kyouya?"

He nodded to where Haruhi and Bossanova were. Haruhi had on a cute smile, and Bossanova was blushing.

"Oh?" she looked up at Kyouya. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see."

Tamaki and the Twins were able to sense the threat and pulled the two apart, "There you are, Bossanova!"

"Time to get started on our next plan!"

"Haruhi, there's no need for you to get involved, okay?"

They rushed Bossanova off.

"Uh, just a thought but, I think Casanova can manage without any need for..."

"Haru Haru~! Shh~!"

"Eh? But, Hani-senpai?"

"I hope he realizes it real soon, don't you~?"

"You know," Kiiro turned back to Kyouya. "I think more than one person needs to realize it."

"Who else?"

"Well, off the top of my head there are about three..." she hesitated. "Maybe four others..."

Kyouya stopped, trying to guess at the fourth.

"You're so oblivious..." she walked off.

"What could she mean by that?" he shrugged. "When she's the oblivious one..."


	17. Lovesickness and Princess!

Chapter Sixteen: Realizing, Monale, and Lovesickness.

"So, this is attempt... fourteen?" Kiiro sighed, wondering why they couldn't get it right.

The Kitty-eared Waiter looked over at the guests. The girls were still scared of him and ran off as quickly as possible.

'It's a failure.'

"Hmmm... they ran away again. Even the ultimate strategy of kitty ears didn't work, huh?" Tamaki seemed disbelieving. "I just don't get it. Everyone knows that kitty ears irresistibly cute to the male population, but, Renge recently told me that even girls find them attractive nowadays. She was so dead sure about it, too."

"Yeah, but it was Renge that told you that." Kiiro pointed out.

"Perhaps you should of surveyed a larger part of the female population." Haruhi suggested.

"I don't know if people actually find it attractive or not," Kyouya shared. "...but if you ask me, simply sticking a pair of ears onto him won't make his face look any better."

"Absolutely, that was way too half-hearted, Tono!"

"If you really want to do something..."

"Then go all out! Like a kitty eared maid!" The Twins produced a maid dress.

"Oh, I see what you mean!"

"Are you guys trying to live out some sick fantasy? Quit fooling around with me!" Bossanova scolded.

The Twins and King started sobbing.

"S-sorry! It's just... I'm feeling frustrated 'cuz you guys have been doing your best to come up with plans for a whole week already but, people are still avoiding me."

"There's _clearly _no need for you to apologize, Casanova. It's _clearly_ the fault of these numbskulls and their madcap ideas." Haruhi explained.

"Waah! Haruhi! How could you be so mean?"

"She said clearly twice! Twice!"

"No... The fault is all mine for being so ungrateful to the kindness they've shown me. Kitty ears... angel wings... I just don't suit any of them." he sulked.

"Er, you know, that's pretty natural if you ask me..."

"But, no matter what it takes, I want to be likable... a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do... I will wear the maid outfit!"

'What?'

"Uh... okay... here you go..."

'I thought they were just kidding...'

They helped him into the dress when, Knock, knock, knock!

"Excuse me, I'm looking for young master Kasanoda?" a boy entered and saw the kitty-maid. "Ack! Young master?!" he shrieked.

"Hrnh?!"

"S-s-sorry! I had no idea you were in the middle of your secret hobby!"

"Who said this was my hobby?! And what the hell are you doing here?! Get lost!" he snarled.

'That's not creepy at all...'

"Kyaaaaaaaaaa!" the boy ran.

"Ca-Casanova? Breathe."

"I did it again. It was just a reflex action..." he slumped.

"Who was that?"

"Oh, him? One of the brothers... Tetsuya... About a year ago he came begging to be let into our clan... " he ripped off the outfit. "He works as a cleaner in our house, but he's constantly loitering around me for some reason... as a result he's the one I blow up at most frequently..."

"Poor guy..."

"Wait... what the heck did he come here for?" he took off the ears.

* * *

"Hah? Weird things have been happening to Mori-senpai?" Tamaki questioned Kasanoda the next day. Apparently someone had been throwing things at Mori, though no one knew who.

"A bucket and rotten eggs?"

"Yeah. And also a flowerpot, an encyclopedia, a vcr, some roof tiles..."

"Yeah, the way he smashed those roof tiles was awesome!"

"Are you all right, Mori-senpai?" Tamaki.

"Anyone other than Mori-senpai would be black and blue by now." Kyouya.

"Mori-senpai, did you break a mirror or something?" Hikaru.

"Or maybe you stepped on Beelzenef?" Kaoru.

"Maybe a black cat crossed your path?" Kiiro.

"You think Takashi's been cursed?" Hani.

"This isn't time to spout rubbish! I was there at every single attack!" Bossanova explained. "It's plain to see that someone holds a grudge against him!"

"Huh? No way, man! How could anybody hold a grudge against Mori-senpai? Him of all people?"

"You can't know for sure! With a face like that, you invite all kinds of malicious vibes! I've experienced it myself countless times!"

Bossanova was ignored, "If you like, I can introduce you to this exorcist I know."

"Oh! Exorcism~! Exorcism~!"

"Nah, It'd be faster to ask Nekozawa-senpai."

The door opened, "Ummm... sorry to disturb again but is young master..." Tetsuya trailed off as Kasanoda left, running at full speed. "Eh? Young master?"

Haruhi tried to catch up with him.

* * *

The rest of the Club tried to find them, when they heard a loud clattering noise. Mori saw two boys throw a paint can at Kasanoda and Haruhi. He grabbed them before they could get away.

"Morinozuka! You jerk!"

"Tie them up!" the Twins grabbed rope.

Kyouya took pictures.

"Haruhi, are you okay?"

The paint can had spilled all over Haruhi's uniform.

"Untie us! Oi, Kasanoda! Ya no good piece a trash!" they yelled. "Not only did ya grab our cheif's son, ya even employed bodyguards to cover yer lousy behind? Yer nothin' but a low-down kidnapper! Give our young master back!"

"Hrnh? What are you talking about?"

"Oh yeah! The were actually targeting you, Bossanova~! We thought we should let you know~!"

"Huh?"

"Yesterday, Takashi found shards of glass and a cutter in your desk and locker~!"

"Why... why didn't you tell me? Why did you help me?" Kasanoda looked shocked.

"I could tell who the evil one really was..." Mori replied. "If you'd only stand tall and be yourself, there are definitely people who accept you. And, if there's someone who has deep feelings of friendship for you... you can be sure that he is trying to convey it... It's about time you realized it..."

"I thought I recognized you two halfwits prowling about this school." Tetsuya found the two tied up kids.

"Young master Tetsuya!"

"You don't even have the courage to fight someone fair and square... How dare you resort to such dirty tricks?" he looked at them evilly. "You don't get it do you, I left because I couldn't stand you people any more. And if you ever try to harm the young master again, I'll make you wish you were never born..."

Haruhi went to change while Tetsuya explained the situation, "Forgive me for being dishonest to you, young master! I'm the Kanto branch Sendo Clan Chief's second son," he kneeled and bowed his head. "Tetsuya Sendo! I was deeply attracted to the young master's personality, and so cut all ties with the Sendos' and resolved to throw in my lot with the Kasanodas'! For quite some time, I'd felt repulsed by the principles and methods of the Sendos'! Then, one rainy day a year ago, I had a huge fight with my father and ran away from home... I had nowhere to go... but, there was absolutely no way I could return home... at the time... young master, you... offered me kindness, and held your umbrella over me."

"Did I do that?"

'Way to ruin the moment. He doesn't even remember...'

"Yes! Even if you don't recall it, I shall remember your kindness till the day I die! I also know... that you love animals... that sentimental stories and romantic movies make you cry... that you secretly buy a cake for a brother's birthday... that you're the one who leaves us presents by our pillows on Christmas..."

"You do those things? Oh... Bossanova, you sweetie..." The Twins teased.

"Hrrrnh?"

"...and that you're painfully shy and awkward... it's not just... everyone in the clan's well aware...we all know you'd feel embarrassed, so we don't let on that we know... as for how terrifying you are... forgive me, but I'm slowly getting used to it... kind of..." he balled his fist. "I take full responsibility for these two fools... but, I beg you... please allow me to continue staying by your side!" he reached into his bag. "Oh! I almost forgot! I came to give you this yesterday!" he fished out an umbrella. "The weather's been so bad lately! Please accept this umbrella! We'd all be very worried if the young master fell ill!"

"Why does he need an umbrella if you send a car to pick to him up everyday?"

"Oh yeah... you're right... how silly of me..." he began to put the umbrella away but, Kasanoda grabbed it.

"Give me that!"

"Yes sir!"

"I need to apologize to Fujioka! It's my fault that he got covered in paint!" Bossanova ran off.

"Haru's gone to change into a clean set of clothes in the Club Room~!"

"Thanks, Haninozuka-senpai!"

"Take care, young master!" Tetsuya waved.

Tamaki wiped his tears, "Ahh... another good deed done for the day..."

"You didn't actually do anything this time, Tono."

"By the way... are you sure it's okay, Tamaki?"

'Hey, wait, isn't Haruhi...?'

"Since Haruhi's gone to change?" Kyouya revealed, too late...

"What didn't you say so sooner?" Kiiro and the rest ran off.

* * *

"I! I'm sorry!" Kasanoda closed the door.

"You saw her, didn't you?" The Twins were scarily evil.

They grabbed Bossanova, "Hrrrnnnhhh?!"

"You saw? What did you see? How much did you see? You saw that petite and slender body of Haruhi's that even we haven't seen... So tell us, how much did you see?" The Twins got closer to him.

"Yes, how much, Kasanoda?" Kiiro put her hand on his shoulder and let the menacing aura creep over his skin.

"I-I didn't see anything! I mean, I caught a glance, but, it was so quick that I-!"

"You know, Bossanova..." Dark Hani emerged. "I really really despise guys who fool around..."

"What should we do with him, Hikaru? He's discovered Haruhi's secret..."

"...there's only one thing to do..."

"...we have to force amnesia... _hold him_!" Hikaru picked up a baseball bat while Kaoru and Hani held him.

"Hrrrnnnnhhhh?!"

"Oi, oi, cut it out." Kyouya stopped them. "I don't want to dirty my hands covering a crime for you."

"Kyouya-senpai! How can you stay calm! If you'd only mentioned earlier that Haruhi was changing, this wouldn't of happened!"

"Don't try to pin all the blame on me."

"Look at him!" they gestured to Tamaki who was silent, motionless and vacant. "Tono is in a state of shock! He's become an empty shell! We refuse to hang around him in this state!"

"Well, so do I, but, anyway..." he pushed up his glasses. "... since the cat's already out of the bag, we have no other recourse but to discuss our options. Kasanoda... Haruhi has to conceal the fact that she's actually a girl due to a reason that she cannot reveal... and also because of this, she had to become a Host Club member... in which case, it's more advantageous for her to be viewed as a male rather than female, but, we have no right to keep you from talking... though, if I may just remind you of one tiny little thing... I'm sure it wouldn't be a very good idea to make enemies of the Ootori family, right?"

'Tact #3 Intimidation/Coercion.'

The door behind Bossanova opened up and Haruhi stepped out, "Hang on, guys! Stop threatening Casanova! Casanova, I'm really sorry to give you such a shock... You know, it's really okay if you want to tell other people about me. I don't mind."

Kasanoda blushed.

"You were right, we might have a problem on our hands." Kyouya whispered.

Kiiro sighed.

* * *

The next day in Music Room Three, Kasanoda showed up as a guest. He wanted Haruhi as his Host, of course. The guests squealed at the thought of 'Forbidden Romance'. But, of course, the Twins weren't very fond of the idea. When Haruhi went to pour his tea, they knocked over all of the cups and the teapot.

"Kyouya-senpai, you idiot, how could you let someone like that in here? If he wants to reconcile with his brothers so badly, shouldn't he be spending time at home with them?" the Twins growled. "He doesn't even need to train under Mori-senpai anymore!"

"Well, that's why he's a guest today. He's already promised to keep Haruhi's secret, so, on what grounds could I reject him? What's more..." he gestured toward the girl-guests. "Thanks to him, our number of customers is up by twenty percent today!" he beamed.

Tamaki still seemed to be shocked today.

Haruhi was giggling, which drew everyone's attention to her.

"What should we do? She's revealed her super adorable smile! That god-given charm!" the brothers panicked.

"I expected you two to have flown straight over there to put a stop to it by now~!"

"Well, after our failure in Karuizawa, we want to avoid upsetting Haruhi as much as we can!"

"Whaddaya mean 'we' it was just you, Hikaru!"

"Tono! How long are you just gonna space out?!"

"This is the time where we need the King! Get moving!" they pushed him towards Haruhi and Casanova. He was still in robo-mode.

"Tamaki-senpai?"

He tried to sit in between the two.

"What's... eh? Wait! What are you doing? If you want to join us, sit over here." he sat on the other side of her. "If you've got nothing to do, play with this..." she handed him a little puzzle ring toy. "I got this as a freebie when I went to get the instant coffee just now. Casanova, would you like another cup?"

Tamaki separated the two rings robotically, "Haruhi, I did it! I solved the puzzle!"

"That was really fast! Now you've got to try and put it back together!"

"Okay!"

'Hopeless...'

"Has he lost his mind?" the Twins called his cell phone.

_Ring! Ailing! Ailing!_

Tamaki answered to, "Oi, Tono! It's time to wake up and smell the manure! Let me tell you something! While you're busy enjoying yourself in la-la land, the situation in the real world is getting more serious by the minute! Am I getting through to you? Just you think about it? If you don't do something fast, Bossanova's gonna pluck Haruhi out right from under your nose! Do you want Haruhi to be doomed to a future as a 'big sista'?"

'You mean 'yakuza's wife'?'

"N-no way!" they got to him. "In a way, I'm sure you'd look absolutely stunning, but Daddy objects! Bossanova! Just what are you up to, huh? Should you not be seizing this opportunity to strengthen your bond with your brothers? Didn't you want to play 'kick the can'? If you can't find a good park to play in, I can easily introduce one to you! Go on then! Go on! Embrace your youth to your heart's content! But then again..." Tamaki's expression switched to evil. "... if you wish to get close to Haruhi, instead... it'll be over her Daddy's dead body." he pointed to himself.

"Eh?... 'Daddy's'? You're her father?"

'Well, obviously not.'

"We're not related by blood. But, I'm sort of her father figure..."

"That means you a Fujioka's mom...?"

"Eh! No! I never met the woman..."

"Then how can you be her father?"

Tamaki looked lik he had been hit by a bullet, the Hosts had to catch him before he fell over, they ran him over to where he get some air.

"That was close, Tono was on the verge of being vaporized! That no-good, heartless gangster! To think he'd hit below the belt!"

"Tama! Hang in there!"

"...True..." King sat up. "It's true... strictly speaking, I'm not Haruhi's father..."

"Strictly speaking or otherwise, you're still not her father, Boss."

"No, wait, this needs to be cleared up..."

"Eh? What needs to be cleared up?"

"If, hypothetically speaking, I'm not Haruhi's father..."

"Hypothetically?"

"...then why do I have such a soft spot in my heart for her? Why do I think she's so adorable?"

'Oh boy...'

"Er... Tono, what are you...?"

"Why do I get so worked up when I see her with other guys...? If I'm not her father, then I have no right to come between the two of them... But then, is it not a Father's love that quietly watches over and rejoices in the growth of his daughter...? No, no... that just brings me back to paternal affection..."

"Umm... then why do you have delusions about Haruhi being your wife...?"

"W-wouldn't a father think that there's never any guy good enough for his daughter besides himself...?"

"And why do you always try to prevent Haruhi from getting kissed?"

"Is... is it wrong to want to protect the purity of your daughter's lips...?"

"You know, Tono..." Kaoru began. "Could it be that you don't want anything to destroy the friendship we all share right now...? Maybe that's why you created this whole 'family' thing... as a precaution..."

"Kaoru?" Hikaru was confused.

"I-I don't understand...?"

"I see... just as I expected... all those lovely-dovey delusions he succumbs to every day are simply that... delusions. He doesn't want them to become reality."

"Tama's so unaware of his feelings..."

Kiiro stood next to Kyouya, "You know, I'd be willing to bet that Tamaki really does have 'those kind' of feelings for Haruhi."

"Oh, really now? And, what are you willing to bet?" he asked quietly.

"Anything."

"That sounds promising."

Haruhi said, "But, I guess... there are some things about Tamaki-senpai that remind me of my father..."

Tamaki's eyes lit up, "Did... did you hear that? Did you hear Haruhi say that I'm like her father?"

"Well...more accurately, what she said was, you share some personality traits with her real father. That doesn't imply that you're actually like a father to her.."

"I see... I see...!" but King was still as carefree as before.

"You just don't want to listen, do you?"

"Fujioka..." Kasanoda started. "Would it be okay if I... came again? Instead of being with female companions all the time... maybe it would be good to talk to someone who knew your secret... you could relax then. If it's not too much of a bother..."

"Thank you." Haruhi smiled. "Designating me would really be a great help, too! I'm so glad... I can get to know you better!"

The guests squealed.

"Fuji... Fujioka... I..."

"I mean, isn't it great to be friends with someone you see eye to eye with?" Haruhi shot him down, unknowingly.

'Ouch.'

"I've never met anyone I could talk so openly to before... It's so nice to have a friend like that."

The guests felt horribly for him but he appeared to want to get over his rejection quickly, "Let's... Let's remain good friends... always."

"Yup."

"She really has a way with shutting 'em down, doesn't she?" Kiiro smiled, recalling Arai's tale of rejection.

"It seems so." Kyouya shrugged.

"We'll be your friends, too, Bossanova!" The Twins cried.

"Even though I'm your senpai, I'll be your friend, too~!"

"We're your friends, too!" "That was so touching!" "Thank you for sharing your heartache!" "We'll always be friends!" the guests yelled.

"Tamaki? You okay?" Kyouya asked.

"Yeah... I'm just thinking about how Bossanova must feel."

"Oh? That's odd. You're the 'Father', aren't you? This is the part where you should be rejoicing. There's no reason for you to emphasize with the pain he's feeling... is there?"

"Yeah. You're right!" Tamaki smiled. "Whew! What a relief!"

Kyouya sighed, "He hasn't realized it yet... Kiiro, though it's tempting, I'm not taking you up on your bet."

She smiled.

* * *

"How is it possible that it's always Spring here?" Kiiro pondered while watching out the window. 'It has to be a Japanese thing...'

Behind the door lies a pirate's den...

"Welcome."

The boys dressed in large naval coats, headbands, cuffed boots, leather, and grand hats. They were equipped with swords and flintlocks. Even the room was decorated like a ship, pillars of wood stood here and there, wrap with rope and barrels were placed nearby.

"All hands on deck! Weigh anchor!" Tamaki ordered.

'He's not King today, he's Captain.' Kiiro nodded to her own thoughts while drawing.

"We set sail for the ends of the Earth! We seek the legendary treasure more beautiful, so irresistible, you'll be loathe to part from it! Our only mission is to capture yon maiden's hearts."

'Yep, just another day.' Kiiro was a little worried that the last episode may have affected how the Club operated. And, more proof to her point, the Twins were putting on an act of 'Brotherly Love'.

"Their skits longer than usual today, isn't it?" Haruhi raised her eyebrow.

"Well, the pirate theme, sure does suit them, that's for sure." Kyouya held up his glasses. "Though, the life of an outlaw unfortunately lies outside my own interests. I believe there's a much greater sense of achievement in obtaining your goals through legitimate means, don't you agree?"

'Liar.'

"Well... since I definitely sense some shadowy motives behind those words... I can't say I do..."

"Kyouya, would those 'legitimate means' be: Intimidate, Coercion and Manipulation?" Kiiro asked, innocently.

"They're not illegal, yet." he smirked.

"Yet."

Bossanova was one of Haruhi's regulars, and for every time he visited he would bring something for her from Gardening Club, this time he brought Cherry Tomatoes. And, of course, the Hosts had to compete with a newly potted cherry seed. But, through all the commotion, a tiny voice could be heard, "Such a lively gathering. And, those costumes, what's the occasion, I wonder?"

An angelic girl with long, curly, blonde hair stood at the door with the Student Council President, "Pardon me for interrupting my club activities I'd like to introduce a foreign student who's visiting our school. She is here to observe the Japanese school system. She will be attending classes with 1A. May I present, from the Kingdom of Monale, her highness, Princess Michelle. How does it suit you, your highness? These are the elite of our student body, they are extremely popular with the students."

"They'll do well enough. For the next two weeks, I appoint the lot of you as my personal servants!" she smiled.

'Someone's spoiled... I'm glad I'm not a Host.' Kiiro smirked.

"What? You've got to be kidding me!" The Twins protested.

"It would be my honor." Tamaki knelt. "I, Tamaki Suoh, will do my utmost to be of service to you, your highness."

This wouldn't be odd for him, but, his face was different, it looked like he was, if Kirro wasn't mistaken, taken with her.

"Ne, Kyouya?" she whispered, pointing to the pair.

He nodded, "Odd, isn't it?"

* * *

"Monale is a small kingdom in Europe..." Kyouya straightened his tie. "Not many people in Japan have heard of it. But, it's a wealthy nation with a prosperous mining industry. Unfortunately, the former King and Queen lost their lives in a freak accident three years ago... Leaving their twenty-one-year-old son, Crown Prince Rolance, to succeed the throne."

"That's Michelle's older brother, right~?"

"But... I'd heard the princess' visit wasn't supposed to be until next week."

'Change of plans?'

* * *

Everywhere Michelle went, Tamaki went, everywhere Tamaki went, Kyouya went, everywhere Kyouya went, Kiiro went. When questioned, she answered, "It's not often that you see the Scary Shadow King playing the humble servant." And while that may have been one reason, another was the Princess herself, there was something odd about her. Something just didn't make sense. At first she marked it off as the spoiled, snobby attitude of her highness', how she went on and on about her glorious life back in Monale, but their was another thing under that, it was almost like she was indulging in a luxury. 'But, she gets this kind of treatment all the time at home, right?' Whatever it was that was putting Kiiro off, it was getting annoying. All of her demands were extremely extravagant and just took up time. And, she didn't care about anyone else, she asked Haruhi to taste her food for her just because she was a commoner. Which pissed off the Twins, and Tamaki didn't show that it bothered him, which made them irate.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, don't make a ruckus in the Club Room."

"But, Kyouya-senpai! Tono and that Princess...!"

"I've only ever seen a photo of her, but... I can see a strong resemblance between the Princess and Tamaki's mother. "

"You're kidding! She really is Tono's long-lost sister?"

"Did Renge tell you that?" Kiiro asked.

"Was there really a need to jump to such a conclusion? The soft, blond hair, the way her eyes light up when she smiles... when she knew she had to be separated from Tamaki, his mother fell into a deep depression... the last time Tamaki saw his mother, she was crying. Don't you think he just wants to see her smile again? Even if he can only do so through the Princess..."

"...That's... if he'd just told us, even we would've..."

"Sorry, I'm late!" King rushed in. "I had to see the Princess off... Huh? Was there supposed to be a meeting today?"

"Mommy's boy, you're the King of Mommy's boys!" the Twins yelled.

"Wh-what? Why are you suddenly being so rude?"

"I guess that's the way those two show their encouragement..."

"It's probably 'cuz they don't really know how to express themselves~!"

"Well, we're done for the day." the Twins left.

"Huh? Hey, are you leaving already?"

"Starting from tomorrow, we're gonna pull out all stops to serve this Princess of yours... so we're going home to prepare!"

And so, everyone but Tamaki and Haruhi left just then.

* * *

"Elephants?" she looked to him in disbelief. "We're going to parade the Princess through town...on elephants?"

"Of course, Kiiro." Kyouya smiled from across his table. "What else would we parade her with?"

"What do you mean what else?" her eyes widened, "A car maybe? Horses, even? Something slightly less complicated?"

* * *

The elephants marched on in front of the school, the Princess was perched atop one. The Monale flag flew on every pachyderm. The boys followed along in something similar to Indian garb.

"What the hell...?!" Haruhi screeched.

"Mornin' Haruhi!" The Twins smiled. "Wanna catch a ride, too? On the elephants back?"

"What's with the sudden pseudo-Indian parade... or is that Thai...?"

"Isn't it the coolest? We think so, too!"

"It was pretty tough, you know~!" Hani giggled. "We had to dress up all the elephants from my house~! It took us all night~!"

"You have elephants at your home, Hani-senpai?!"

"Well, it was a rushed job." Kyouya explained. "We also had a few delays with the traffic from the Princess' hotel to here."

"You mean you came all the way here from the hotel in this bizarre procession?"

"We so busy yesterday that we couldn't call you to join us, Haru...we're so sorry..." the Twins and Hani said in unison.

"Not at all. My heart is overflowing with gratitude right now..." Haruhi explained.

Tamaki helped Michelle down and showed her the red carpet sprinkled with rose petals that led to her classroom.

Kiiro watched everyone disperse.

"She's lying, you know."

"I kind of figured it out along the way."

* * *

"Eh? A lie?" The Twins yelled.

"The Ducal House of Baden that Princess Michelle mentioned has been a friend of my family since my grandfather's generation..." one girl said. "They've never mentioned they had ties with the Royal House of Monale before... and besides, due to the Duchess's ill health, they're currently in Switzerland, so I don't think they could visit her at the moment."

"But then why would she have said..." Haruhi trailed off.

"Since we're on the topic... the luxurious palace that she claimed to live in, is a lie as well."

"Kyouya-senpai?"

"While Monale is officially a wealthy country, they have a wide income gap... The new King, Rolance, is an extremely practical person, and shortly after he succeeded the throne, he disallowed all extravagance and excess. Instead, he actively goes out alone to meet the people and listen to their needs. He's truly a King brimming with confidence. There's no way she could enjoy such an extravagant lifestyle."

"Why that little..! Not only was she a spoiled brat but she's a liar, too!"

"Kyouya-senpai! Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"He always reveals things too late, just expect it from now on." Kiiro advised them.

"Poor Tama-chan~!"

"Whether she's a liar or not is immaterial. She's still royalty, and there's never any harm in pandering to royalty, right? Besides... I'm sure Tamaki already knows everything."

* * *

"Ah hah! All units alert! Lying Princess at twelve 'o clock!" The Twins pointed to Michelle, who was outside attacking a cherry blossom tree.

"Ohohohoho! What on Earth do you mean? Oh my goodness, isn't it amazing how such a big branch just fell off the tree?" she held a rather large branch, which she tore off the tree. She tripped over a root.

"Your Highness!"

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

"You okay, Michelle~?" Hani.

"Are you hurt?" Haruhi.

"Are you able to stand, Princess? You know, it's waaay to dangerous if you don't watch your step." Twins.

"Why... Why are you all so kind o me?" she cried. "Why are you catering to my every whim? I was trying to make you all hate me... to the point where I would become insufferable... then my brother would have to call me back home... and to think I was so horribly rude to you even...! And, all the lavish expenditure... wasted on me... you put me in a luxurious hotel... and even though I was lying through my teeth, no one accused me... and the meals were extravagant and so heavenly...!"

"She may live in a palace, but she sounds poor."

"... And on top of it all, you brought in elephants... elephants... that parade was so embarrassing... I could have died!"

"Ya know, your plan to make us hate you by being a Prima Donna was all well and good... but, when your brother finds out what you've done, won't he be a little mad at you?"

"You're right, what should I do? I didn't think that far...! He's gonna hate me... After my Father and Mother passed away, my brother is all I have left. I know he's doing all this for me but, he keeps pushing me away...I just wish I could be of more help to him, that's all... All I want is to be by his side. Oh, dear, Tamaki! He must have seen right through me! Maybe he's told my brother about all the wretched things I've done!"

Haruhi looked at her, "Tamaki-senpai would never do something like that. He understands how painful it is to be separated from your family. But, even so, he's the kind of person who stays positive and keeps on going. Even though the loss of your parents must be tremendous... it's no good if you just waited around for things to change, because they won't, what you need to do is tell your brother, and everyone, how you truly feel. I think Tamaki-senpai was waiting for you to discover that, so that you can finally show him the beauty of your true smile."

Kiiro grinned.

"There you are, your Highness!" Renge, the Student Council President and another man made their way to them. "We've brought a wonderful guest to see you!"

"Michelle..." the man said.

"Brother..."

"I only want to preserve all that Father and Mother have left behind, to the best of my ability, I want our country to be prosperous and peaceful... so that all of our people... especially my precious sister... will always be smiling with joy..."

"Brother..."

'That's nice.'

When she turned, Kiiro saw a sulking Tamaki.

'What's got him this time?'

Michelle left Japan with a smile on her face.

* * *

"What? Tono, is sick?!" The Twins screamed in shock.

"It's not the end of the world..." Kiiro laughed.

"Yeah this morning, Shima-san called me. Apparently, seems like since last night he's had a high fever and couldn't get up." Kyouya explained.

"In other words Tono's on sick leave, we'll survive somehow..."

"It might be some precursor to some natural disaster..."

"Haru-chan, you've gotta run away! There might be thunder!"

"That's... even Tamaki-senpai catches a cold once in a while..." Haruhi tried.

Everyone who was told had the same reaction as the Club. One of the girls cried, "The ever self-praising Tamaki-sama who, since birth, has never had cavity nor known an illness..."

"Even Suoh can catch a cold." a boy responded.

"I'll bet... he's saddened by Princess Michelle's leave. He seemed to think of her as his little sister."

'Or Mother.'

"Speaking of which, just before Princess Michelle left, Tamaki-sama was acting weird..."

"Tono, acting weird? He's always like that."

"No... I'm sure because he wasn't acting like himself for many days. The day before yesterday, as well, he put thirty spoonfuls of sugar in his tea..."

"Now that you mention it, throughout class he was engrossed in reading a child-care book."

'So, it's about Haruhi?'

"He asked me to elaborate about parent-child relationships..."

"Yes, me too..."

Renge appeared, "I too, of course, didn't overlook his crucial moment! Yesterday, after school, he called Mori-senpai behind the P.E. room for some reason or another. He asked Mori-senpai if he'd ever thought of kissing Hani-senpai. And, to Tamaki's shock, Mori-senpai said "no". Now that I think about it, it's extremely easy to see why he's sick in bed. I hit the hammer on the nail, huh? I never knew Tamaki thought of Mori-senpai like that..."

'Ummm...?'

"We're going to go check on him later." Kyouya informed Kiiro.

* * *

When they arrived at the Suoh's Second Residence, "What's this? You don't look sick at all." The Twins nagged Tamaki.

"Tama-chan, we came to visit~~~! We brought chocolate and strawberry cake~~!"

"You guys? What about school?"

"Already over."

"Yeah, we'll handle the rest." Kyouya told his maids.

Kiiro stepped out while the Twins started to help him change.

"You guys..."

"Hush, hush, don't cry. Okay, I'm changing you, take off your pajamas."

"Kay."

"Pants, too."

"Kay."

"Tono, I should mention."

Kiiro saw Haruhi approach the door, "Ah, Haruhi, I wouldn't..."

She opened the door.

"Harushi's here, too."

"Ah, I'm sorry, take your time." Haruhi exited.

Tamaki freaked out, "#$%^$%$##$^&*! You doppelgangers did that on purpose!" He flopped onto the bed.

"Ah, he died."

* * *

"AHAHAHAHA! Look at this!" the Twins held up a scrapbook. "It says, "Commoner's Snacks Collection Volume 3"!"

"What's he gonna do with a scrapbook full of all these commoner's snack wrappers?"

"Amazing~~! It's all categorized and sorted by maker and he even wrote down what day he ate it and what his opinions were~~!"

"That's because he's Blood Type A."

"Very organized." Kiiro explained to herself.

"Ummm... the ice pillow's lukewarm..." Tamaki whined.

Kiiro glanced around, nobody else was going to get up, so she set out to get him a new ice pillow.

'I'm starting to wonder if anyone else actually came to help?' she chuckled to herself and sighed. 'I knew something like this was going to happen soon enough, but, I wonder if Tamaki will ever tell Haruhi. Why do they all have to be so complicated? It's so obvious about most of them, but, none of them know it. Hikaru...Kaoru... Kyouya... Haruhi has quite a spell on her. Maybe it would just be best to pick a team by now.'

By the time she got back, Shima was there and she asked them all to retire to the sitting room.

* * *

"I assume you knew what he had?"

"Yes. It's not really a surprise, you know something like this would happen from the beginning, didn't you?"

"...Yes, if I remember correctly, you agreed with me, Kiiro."

"...You know, I can't shake the feeling that something bad's about to happen, Kyouya."


	18. Don't Go, Kiiro!

Chapter Seventeen: Don't Go, Kiiro!

Kiiro was in her studio, lost in a state of flux, when the door opened. She expected to see a maid or butler standing there but, when she looked up, it was her older sister, Margot.

"Hello, Alona!" she gushed.

"Margot?" Kiiro questioned. "And my name's not Alona!" she corrected.

"Hey, I came all the way here to see you, be nice!"

"Fine, why are you here?" she faux smiled.

"Well..." she blushed. "Well, I just..."

* * *

"She what?" Kyouya asked, a small amount of envy tinting his voice.

"She refused the position of heiress..." Kiiro sighed, exhausted from Margot's visit.

* * *

The Harper family business had always been focused on relaxation. They managed and opened a large number of resorts, parks, theaters, and...well...anything else that could be considered relaxing, all around the world. Kiiro's father had inherited the business and made it into a powerful incorporate. But, due to his focus on the company, he traveled near nonstop. Normally, he would leave his family at home, but, in recent years, his family seemed to be scattered all over the world. He was a caring father through it all, and insisted that his children grew up as sincere individuals, but, because he had believed that his choice in heiress should remain traditional, he had always counted on Margot's being heiress. Kiiro had no problem with this as she had never wanted a life like that of her father's, Aneleigh and Margot, however, weren't too pleased.

So, when Margot had refused the position of heiress, the tensions between sisters had risen. Kiiro and Aneleigh had grown up three years apart from each other and were the closest siblings, Kiiro and Margot were never very close due to their vastly different styles of living, and Margot and Aneleigh weren't close at all due to the age difference and personalities. Margot was showy and arrogant. Aneleigh was brash, but sweet and extremely smart for her age.

* * *

"So what's your father's protocol for such an incident?" Kyouya asked, the next day before class.

"Well, he'll either choose Ane or myself." she rested her head on her desk, anxiety rampant in her bones.

"And will you accept?" Kyouya questioned, looking perhaps a bit concerned.

She glanced up at him, "No." she smiled. "The odds of him picking me over Ane are infinitesimal at best, she's got a near-genius I.Q. score, and wants the title to boot." she shrugged. "Besides, being heiress would mean my return to California. Father had groomed Margot for the position of heiress her whole life, and whoever he picked would need to start learning about it now to make up for lost time."

"So, if he did pick you," he pushed up his glasses, catching the glare of the lights, "You would have to leave Japan?"

"Yeah." she said absentmindedly, but when she saw his frown, she added, "But he won't pick me." she emphasized. "I wouldn't worry about it."

Kyouya was about to say something when Tamaki flitted over to them, "What's with all of these serious expressions, huh?" he asked. "Are you guys hiding something from me?" he leaned on Kyouya's desk.

Kiiro raised an eyebrow, "What made you come to that conclusion?"

"Mommy and Aunty are always off on their own talking," he pouted. "Daddy feels left out."

Kyouya pinched his hand, "Sleep talk while asleep, Tamaki." he sighed, aggravated.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Let go!" Tamaki whined.

* * *

After classes, as Kiiro began to get ready for Club activities, she got a call, from her father.

"Oh, hi, Dad." she answered, catching Kyouya's attention.

"Hello, Kiiro. I know you're about to go to your club meeting but I think I might need you to come home." he said.

"Oh, um, okay?" she puzzled. "Anything important?"

"No, I just want to talk with you." he told her. "It's nothing bad, I promise."

She saw Kyouya watching her, "Sure, I'll be over soon. Goodbye." she clicked her phone shut.

"Something wrong?" he asked, waiting for her.

"No. I just need to get home." she passed him. "Tell Tamaki I won't be able to attend Club today."

He grabbed her sleeve, "Wait."

She turned to him, stomach fluttering, "Kyouya?"

"Kiiro." his voice was unusually soft. "Do you want to be heiress?"

"I told you." she smiled. "He wouldn't pick me."

His eyes hardened, "But if your father did?"

"He won't." she repeated adamantly.

"Kiiro, I'm asking you seriously." he frowned. "If your father wanted you to be heiress, would you accept?"

She hesitated, "No." she answered, suddenly very unsure. "I'm not going anywhere."

He sighed, "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow." he walked off without her.

She felt a stab of anger, 'What's his problem?' she thought as she left.

* * *

"Kiiro." her father greeted her with a smile as she entered the sitting room. "Have a seat, dear."

She looked around, "Where's Margot?" she inquired.

He rolled his eyes, "Off pouting, I assume. She told me she came here to escape me, and can't stand to be around me." he held his hand over his heart. "Then she said she was leaving to go back to Europe." he grinned. "So I had her account frozen. And told her that unruly children don't receive allowances."

She felt the chill in his words, 'AB Blood Types...', "So, um, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, now that Margot's decided to turn down heiress, I was wondering..." he sat back, relaxed. "What you're thoughts were?"

She nodded, "Well, I believe you ought to pick Ane." she confessed. "She's much smarter than I was at her age, and she's got more business sense than I do." she smiled, feeling her burdenous anxiety leaving her. "I think she'll do well as the head of the company."

"Do you?" he placed a finger to his chin, "You know I've been looking over that website you run, with your paintings for sale. I think you've done well for yourself for your age." he grinned.

Her anxiety returned, settling in her stomach, "Th-thank you, Dad. But, can I ask, why is choosing an heiress so important right now? You're only forty-eight, do you plan on retiring any time soon?"

He exhaled slow, "The company's come a long way in my time." he began. "When I took over I was twenty-four and had only just married your mother. We weren't even international before you were born." he sighed. "The only way we were able to spread to Asia was with your uncle's help, his connections and footholds. And seventeen years isn't long enough to secure our place in the world. We're still so fragile. That's why I need someone who can be a strong leader, and I need them soon so they can learn beside me until the time I so choose to hand over everything to them."

"Well, Ane's always up to the challenge..." Kiiro trailed off, hoping he'd get the hint.

He smiled, "You've always been like that, Kiiro... So quick to praise others for qualities you share."

She faux smiled back, "Whatever do you mean, Dad? Ane's much more accomplished than me, she's head of her class."

"I know." was his only response. "I believe I'll hold a ball in one week, and I'll announce the heiress afterward."

* * *

The next day during club activities Kiiro still couldn't shake her bad feeling, even sitting beside Kyouya didn't do its usual trick of soothing her nerves, it only fried them more.

"So, my father's hosting a party next week, he told me to invite you and your father."

"We'll be there." he said simply.

A stretch of silence passed between them.

"Did you talk to your father about his choosing?" he asked.

"Yes." she sat back, acting relaxed. "He still hasn't decided yet."

"What if he picks you, Kiiro?"

"He won't."

"Did you tell him not to?"

"Not yet."

"And you'll have to go back to California if you're named heiress?" he looked to her, dissatisfaction clear.

"Can we just drop it?" she huffed.

"Kir-chan?"

She turned to Hani, who had big tears forming in his eyes, "Yes, Hani-senpai?"

"You're not moving, are you?"

"..." Mori stood beside him.

She straightened up, "No, I'm not." she smiled.

"You don't know that yet." Kyouya contested.

"No, I said-"

"You can't go, Kiiro-senpai..."

"...we can't go back to Tono planning everything." the Twins snarked, looking more upset than she thought they would.

"I'm not going anywhere." she frowned.

"You can't say for sure." Kyouya undermined her answer.

"Stop that!"

"We've gotten so used to having you here, Kiiro-senpai, it'd be so different without you." Haruhi knitted her brow.

"It won't be different because I'm staying." she said, focusing on Kyouya.

"You still haven't spoken to your father about that." he pointed out.

"Aunty, you can't leave us!" Tamaki joined in crowding her. "Our family is finally complete."

"Tamaki, I'm not leaving anybody-"

"You're not sure about that." Kyouya said to her.

"Kyouya, quit that!" she shouted, glad that there were no customers in the room, he was aggravating her to no end. "I'm not going anywhere!"

"You don't know that until your father chooses someone!" he countered, glare apparent.

The rest of the club was silent, in shock that they were yelling at each other.

"Kyouya, he's not going to choose me!" she stood. "How many times do I have to tell you?!"

"Why not you, Kiiro?" he stood in front of her. "You're-!" he stopped. "Why do you aim to please him so much?! To go so far as to sacrifice your own happiness!"

"And why do you care about my happiness?!" she returned, teeth gritting. "I don't understand why you're so upset over this, Kyouya!"

"You won't even tell him the truth!" he ignored her question. "My guess is you already tried to tell him you didn't want to be heiress and you couldn't go through with it!" he threw his hands up. "Well? Am I right?!"

She ground her teeth, "No..."

"Here, do it right now, and we can end this idiotic argument. You can even use my phone." he threw it to her.

"Fine!" she punched in her father's number, before stopping.

"What's wrong? Can't tell him?" he pushed.

"Shut up!" she felt tears start to sting her eyes. "Dammit! Why do you have to be so stupid?! I hate you!" she threw his phone back at him, before running out of the room.

"Kiiro!" the Twins, Haruhi and the seniors went after her, leaving only Kyouya and Tamaki behind.

When the door shut, Tamaki looked to Kyouya, his expression serious, "Aren't you going to go after her?"

Kyouya held his phone, staring down at the floor, "No." he said darkly.

Tamaki softened, "Kyouya...I don't know what's going on between you two, but don't let it tear you two apart. You can't let ten years go to waste because of one fight..."

Kyouya said nothing.

"She only said what she did out of anger..."

* * *

"Kiiro-senpai!" the Twins and Haruhi yelled as they caught up to her. "Kir-chan!" Hani and Mori stopped her from running away.

Kiiro tried to hide her face, and wiped at her tears with her shirt sleeves, "I'm sorry for that, guys. I didn't meant to..."

"Kiiro-senpai, I don't really know what happened, but you don't have to apologize." Haruhi told her.

"We wanna know what's going on, Kiiro-senpai." Kaoru bent to look at her.

"What did Kyouya-senpai mean when he said you were going back to California?" Hikaru bent to look at her.

She shied away from them, "It's just...my Dad's choosing an heiress...and if it's me then I'll have to go back to America."

"But, Kiiro-senpai, you can't leave..."

"You're our friend, now." they protested stubbornly.

"You only just got here, Kiiro-senpai..." Haruhi stated.

"I'm sorry, it's just..."

"Kyo-chan doesn't want you to leave, either, Kir-chan, that's why he was so mad." Hani explained sweetly.

"I know." she sighed. "Thank you for this, but, I think it would be best if I took a break from the Club for now..."

The Twins were about to protest but Haruhi stopped them and said, "I'll tell Tamaki-senpai, he'll understand."

"Thank you, Haruhi..." she broke out of the circle. "I'm sorry but I have to go..."

* * *

The door opened, Kyouya perked up, but when only the four Hosts returned, he returned his gaze to the floor.

"Tamaki-senpai, Kiiro-senpai said she's going to take a break from club activities." Haruhi told him.

Without a word, Kyouya left Music Room Three.

Tamaki sighed, unable to sway his stubborn friend.

"I hope they're able to make up." Haruhi slumped.

He nodded, "He's at his happiest when he's with her."

* * *

Kiiro got home and collapsed onto her bed, her chest alternated between hollow and tight. She relentlessly rubbed the tears out of her eyes.

"Jerk..." she cried, unable to think of anything else. "Why does he even care if I leave..."

"What's wrong, Alona?" a soft voice came from the door. Margot stood there, sympathetic. "Boy trouble?" she asked, inviting herself in and shutting the door.

Kiiro nodded.

"Was it that four-eyes brat?" her voice was edged with the anger only a sibling could know.

"We got into an argument, he doesn't want me to go back to California..." she said, exasperated.

She huffed, "Boys aren't worth crying over, you know. They're all the same, hotheaded jerks who only care about themselves."

Kiiro nodded a fresh round of tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Hey, hey, it's okay..." her sister pulled her into her arms. "If he's really important to you, he'll work things out with you. If not, then good riddance, okay?"

She nodded, taking comfort in her sister's words.

* * *

Her days filled with the same irritated thoughts running through her head, she couldn't get her mind off him, she drew him absentmindedly, she dreamt of him, nothing could shake it. She was a wreck, not even Noel could cheer her. Over the next week, Kiiro had barely slept or eaten, she felt sick and anxious all the time. Kyouya blatantly ignored her, which just made her more and more aggravated. And everyone else tried to get her to come back to the club daily, but she just didn't have the energy for it. She just couldn't wait for the day her father choose Aneleigh, so she could get over this petty feud.

Tamaki stopped her after class, attempting again to get her to resolve things with Kyouya, "Kiiro, I know you've got to be tired of this argument. And, even if you don't come back to the club, at least try and make up to each other."

"Talk to him about that, Tamaki." she said, frazzled. "He's the one who started this..."

"But, even if you two apologized, then things would get better..." he tried. "Just tell him you don't hate him..."

"I have nothing to apologize for." she said adamantly. "I'm sorry, Tamaki, I just can't..."

As she walked off, King began to formulate a plan.

* * *

The day of her father's party snuck up on her, and Aneleigh and her mother came in from America. Kiiro didn't even have the energy to welcome them.

"Kiiro? Can I come in?" her mother knocked on the door.

"Yeah."

The door opened and she crept in, "Margot told me about the fight you had with Kyouya."

She sighed.

"Kiiro, you know..." she began. "I used to be so worried about you..." she laid on the bed with her. "You were so shy, I didn't think you would be able to form actual relationships..." she held her hand. "But, you know...sometime when my back was turned you became such a happy girl. And I think Kyouya is to thank for that."

"Mom..."

"I know, but, friends like that only come along once every so often. One argument shouldn't be allowed to ruin them, just make up with him, please, for me?"

Kiiro nodded, not at all convinced she would.

* * *

About an hour before the party, she was told by her maid that she had visitors.

So she wasn't all surprised that the Host Club, bar Kyouya, stood outside her bedroom door a few moments later. They were dressed for the ball, Tamaki in an all white tuxedo, the Twins in matching grey and houndstooth, Hani in cream and Mori in charcoal. Haruhi, however, was dressed in a violet high-low dress, with hair extensions in to give her a hime cut.

Kiiro smiled weakly, "Oh, you're early."

"We're not that early, Kiiro-senpai!" Hikaru fussed.

"Yeah! Why aren't you dressed yet?!" Kaoru snapped.

They promptly produced a bag from nowhere, and pushed her into her adjoining bathroom, "Come on we don't have much time!"

"W-what are you doing?"

* * *

In mere minutes they applied her make up in light pinks and glossy whites. They drew her hair up into a bulky bun, letting her curls stick out here and there. Then, they gave her a dress.

"It's from our mother's new line." they explained.

It was simple, strapless, with a lacy cream bust. The rest of the dress was long and straight and the kind of soft pink only found in sunsets. Its single defining feature was the long black, oversized bow on her left side, its tails hung down to her knees from its spot at the edge of the bust.

She knew something was up, but she thanked them anyway.

* * *

About a hundred people crowded the Harper's First Ballroom, crystal chandeliers hung above giving off golden light, and outside the garden was in full view, the symphony her father hired filled the air with beautiful strings and woodwinds, and the marbled tile resounded a million heel clicks.

Kiiro danced with Hani, who told her that she had to always be true to herself. With Mori, who told her to do what made her happy.

She spotted Kyouya sitting on the sidelines while she danced with Hikaru.

"You know, all this cold shoulder business between you two is driving us crazy, Kiiro-senpai." he raised an eyebrow. "If you two are really close, you shouldn't fight like this. And if you want to stay friends you have to make an effort."

She looked up at the younger boy, surprised, "That was pretty mature for you, Hikaru."

"Siblings are pretty much the same way." he explained simply. "The best way to get through a fight is to tackle it hands on."

Kaoru cut in on his brother, "You know I'm pretty surprised you two are even fighting." he began. "I didn't think either of you were hot headed enough to get into an argument."

"I'm too stubborn to avoid feuds altogether."

Kaoru smiled, "Ya know stubborness isn't going to solve anything. Somebody needs to budge a least a little."

"You're brother said something similar."

"I know." he grinned.

She took the lead with Haruhi on the next dance.

"Kiiro-senpai, can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Are you really prepared to leave Japan behind?" she asked.

"No, I really don't think so..." she sighed heavily. "I came here to leave my hometown behind. There was nothing there for me, I just never fit in no matter how much I tried."

"Then how are you willing to go along with a plan that would take you out of here?" she inquired, earning only silence. "Everyone here, I don't think they want you to go, not even Kyouya-senpai."

"I know." she said quietly.

"And, I know it's easy to put others first, but, you ought to think about what you want and go for it. Don't let anything stop you." she said with a look of determination in her eyes.

Kiiro smirked, "Thank you, Haruhi." she kissed her forehead, receiving a blush and a trio of aggravated boys.

Toward the end of the dance, Tamaki took her hand, "Are you feeling any better, Kiiro?" he asked with a grin.

She smiled back, "What are you all up to, Tamaki? Dressing me up, making me dance?"

"Do you like it, I called it the 'Don't Go, Kiiro' plan!" he broke into his trademarked 'let's help' pose. "If we all let you see how much we don't want you to go, you'll have to stay."

She chuckled, "That's actually a rather simple plan coming from you."

"Well, it was sort of Haruhi's idea. I wanted Mori to dress as a ruffian and bully you so we'd swoop in to save you and you would realize you couldn't leave your heroes."

She laughed, "Wow you guys are so weird."

"So, you'll stay?"

"Well, I-"

"May I cut in?" Kyouya stood behind them.

Tamaki looked pleasantly surprised and gave him her hand without a second thought.

"Kyouya, what are you doing?" she asked, lightened mood spoiled.

"Well, you'll be leaving tomorrow, so I figured I ought to at least say goodbye." he snarked.

"Oh, how kind of you." she said bluntly.

They danced for a few minutes more until the piece ended, "Well, this is goodbye then..." he trailed off.

"Yeah, I guess it is."

"Maybe California will be more enjoyable the second time."

She felt tears prick her eyes again, she promptly turned on her heel and disappeared from the ballroom, choosing a quiet balcony to calm down on.

* * *

"Are you really going to just let her go like this?" Tamaki frowned at him.

"Yes."

"How can you be okay with that?"

"I'm not." he admitted. "But there's no reason for me to care."

"What do you mean "no reason", if you've been friends for ten years, then you have plenty of reason to care." he returned, "She won't be happy back in California, we all know that."

"She can take care of herself."

"Kyouya, tomorrow she could be halfway around the world, and you're not going to do anything to stop her." he argued. "And if you end on this bad note, you'll never see each other again. You'll be to angry with each other to talk, and you'll fade into each other's past just like that."

"...Tamaki, I-"

Haruhi spoke up from beside him, "We've been trying all week, Kyouya-senpai, and she won't listen to us. Please just forget this petty fight and go tell her you're sorry." she watched him.

"Go tell her to stay." Tamaki added.

He ran to where she was.

* * *

"Kiiro!"

Kiiro didn't even turn from her spot at the balcony's railing, Kyouya's voice only stung at her heart, she stiffened, "Kyouya, nothing you say will-"

She was cut off, he turned her around, looked into her eyes...

...and kissed her.

Her eyes went wide, she couldn't quite believe what was happening but, sometime before she calmed down, she kissed him back.

He pulled away, his hands in hers, "Stay." he said simply.

Still shocked from experiencing her first kiss (and by the fact that it was from Kyouya) , she only nodded, before burying her head in his chest, wanted to be as close to him as possible in that moment. For a few solid minutes they stood like that, with his arms around her. The last week sounded so silly now, their whole argument irrelevant. Her mind snapped back to all of the moments leading up to this, all of the blushing, the butterflies in her stomach, her strange heartbeats, her want to be around him.

"Kyouya." she blushed wildly, unable to hide it. "You kissed me..."

"Yes." he looked down at her, his smile returned. "I did."

"I think I like you." she said awkwardly.

He laughed aloud, "You're just now realizing it?" he asked a bit incredulously.

"Yes! What do you mean "just now"?!" her blush deepened and her heart pounded. "Does...does that mean you like me?"

He kissed her again, pinning her against the railing, "What am I going to do with you?" he sighed, "I like you, Kiiro."

"Kyouya, I don't want to go back to California." she whined, feeling much more lighthearted. "I need to go talk to my Dad."

"I know." he grinned. "A few more minutes." he kissed her again, deeper this time, licking her lips to ask for entry, which she granted. And so the next few minutes were spent pleasantly learning how to kiss each other.

* * *

"Dad, before the dance ends, I want to tell you," she began, feeling the anxiety flare in her stomach. "I can't do it."

Her father looked to her, surprise clear in his expression, "But, Kiiro, I was going to pick you."

Margot smiled, appearing from the crowd to lean on her sister's shoulders, "Dad, it's just too much responsibility."

Kiiro looked up at her tallest sister, "I think it's too soon, is all."

Margot gave her a confused look, "What?"

"Dad, even if I don't want to head it, I want to be involved in the company. But, for right now, I just want to enjoy what I have." she declared as she looked to where the club stood. The rowdiest part of the crowd. Where Kyouya stood watching her.

"Oh." he sighed. "I see."

* * *

Her heart soared high above her head around the time Kyouya asked her for the last dance. In the background, Haruhi had finally relented and agreed to dance with the absolutely overjoyed Tamaki while the Twins shrieked and Hani spun around in circles with Mori.

"S-so, what does this mean, Kyouya?" she asked timidly.

"Hm." he thought for a moment. "It means we visit each other outside school more, and we go wherever I want whenever I want."

She raised an eyebrow, "Still the ego."

He grinned, dipping her, whispering, "And I get to invade your bed a lot more."

"Kyouya!" she squeaked.

"Or vice versa, if you'd like." his eyes filled with that odd emotion she witnessed every few days.

After a little silence she spoke up, "O-okay, but I mean, is it a secret or not?" she tilted her head to where Haruhi and Tamaki awkwardly danced together. "What with that."

He nodded, "We'll keep it a secret, Kiiro, if you promise me something."

"Yeah?" she perked up.

"Don't ever try to leave me again." he presented his pinky.

She smiled, unable to hold it back, wrapping her pinky around his she replied, "I promise."

Later, with Aneleigh chosen as the new heiress, things became as if there was never any argument between Kiiro and Kyouya. In fact, as most of the other Hosts had noticed, it seemed as if they were closer than ever.


	19. Love Curses and Mei

Chapter Nineteen: Love Curses and Mei

"Kyouya, we're going to be caught!" Kiiro warned, giggling.

"It's fine, they won't get here for a few minutes yet." he pressed another kiss to her lips, which she accepted happily.

They heard the door open and Kiiro jumped back a few paces, putting some space between her and Kyouya.

Kyouya kept his composure easily, "If we can't prepare for an event before Summer break comes, we ought to start planning for something immediately after..." he stated as he pulled out his black book, sitting across from her.

Kiiro took a second to realize what he was saying, "You're right. Oh, it ought to be something that goes well with the hot season..." she smiled.

Tamaki, who had been the one to open the door joined in their conversation, "I want a Scottish presentation!" he beamed.

"Scottish?" Kiiro questioned. "That's not exactly what I think when I think summer..."

"But we haven't done that yet..." he pouted.

Kiiro shrugged, still grinning like an idiot. For the time being, the secret between her and Kyouya was still under wraps. Their relationship, though left untitled, was still just between them. Neither of them were quite willing to push anything like a relationship on the club just yet. Everyone else had love troubles of their own, and things were going to have to run their courses before they said anything. Besides, she knew the Twins would be unlikely to let them alone if they even suspected they liked each other.

She blushed, again, at the thought of liking Kyouya, feeling her heart swell all over again, and also feeling like an idiot for acting so strangely. She glanced over at the raven-haired boy, who had noticed her blush, he smirked and held a finger up to his lips. She smiled back, and the rest of the club filed in, and things were back to normal.

* * *

As everyone tried to keep cool, Tamaki went on about fortune-telling, "People from ancient times used stars and planets to foresee their destinies," he explained to one guest. "But recently, using familiar electrical home appliances and stationary have become a popular way to tell one's fortune. Originally, commoners were interested in creating as much amusement as they could at no cost at all... Can it be that the reason is not because they are too busy, but that this is a symbol of the emptiness of the present-day commoner's heart? Fortune telling can be used for anything, from giving yourself peace of mind to finding the truth behind the meaning of your existence,can it not?" he said passionately. "Hey, Haruhi! Let Father do some animal fortune telling for you. Haru-chan. A bunny, or a chick?" he called her over."It doesn't really matter... Alright then, it won't take long..." she sat down far away from Tamaki and his guests.

"Eh? Why are you sitting so far away?" Tamaki asked.

"Well... just as a precaution."

"Whaaaat? Why? What for? What did I do?"

"Ah, well, it's all right if you don't remember..."

"What's that?" King stressed. "W-w-w-what should I do? My daughter's going through the rebellious stage? A-alright, I'll use these cards to find the cause!" he held up his deck.

"Oho! So, Suoh-kun likes to fortune-tell? Ufufufufu..." Nekozawa appeared from nowhere.

'How does he do that?!'

"Nekozawa-senpai!" King screamed in terror.

"In that case, you must stop by the Black Magic Club~!" he wiggled Beelzenef. "We're currently in the middle of our summer Fortune-Telling Campaign but, we'll give Suoh-kun special services."

"Eeeeek!" Tamaki cried, backpedaling.

"Oh yes, I have some wonderful news for Haninozuka-kun~..." he turned to his classmate and complete opposite.

"Hnnn~?" Hani lifted his piece of cake to his mouth.

"Congratulations~! This time our princess of curses..." he smiled eerily. "...has chosen you as the lucky sacrifice~!"

Everyone's respective jaws dropped, 'Hani-senpai's what?!'

* * *

'Here we are, stalking and creeping again...' Kiiro sweatdropped as she and the rest of the club peered into Class 1D.

Inside stood the subject, a gothic beauty with straight, dark hair and emotionless eyes, her name was Kanazuki Reiko, of the Black Magic Club.

"So that's the girl that's put a curse on Hani-senpai?" Kyouya.

"Do you know her, Hani-senpai?" Kiiro.

"Hani-senpai, do you have any idea why?" Tamaki.

"I think I remember something, but I have no idea why!" Hani.

"She doesn't wear all black like Nekozawa-senpai." Haruhi.

"So, Class 1D isn't all that weird then." the Twins.

"Why am I being cursed? To be killed?" big tears formed in Hani's eyes.

"I'll have a talk with her..." Mori said angrily as he loosened his tie, his face transformed into a mask of rage.

'I didn't know a Dark Mori existed, too!'

"Waaah! Mori-senpai, you mustn't use violence!" they pleaded.

"That's right~!" Umehito mysteriously appeared. "Stop now~ Interfering with the curse will cause misfortune~!"

"Waaahhh!" Tamaki was terrified. "N-Nekozawa-senpai?"

"Haninozuka-kun~... You really have no recollection~? Kanazuki-hime said you captured her soul~... She plans to get revenge by using curses to capture your soul~!" he and Beelzenef grinned. "And, to prove it, here is Kanazuki-hime's eraser~... This type of curse captures person's soul by writing the full name here~!" 'Mitsukuni Haninozuka' was written on the eraser.

"W-what kind of curse...?" Kiiro trailed off.

"Um..." the Twins mirrored her realization. "This is..."

Umehito chuckled evilly, and produced an elegant mirror, "And this is Kanazuki-hime's hand mirror~ This curse captures someone's soul by writing their name on it in pink nail polish~!" 'Mitsukuni Haninozuka' was also prevalent on the mirror, this time surrounded by hearts.

They began to realize what was going on.

'This isn't a curse...'

"If I remember correctly this is..."

"Yeah, this was popular with girls when we were in elementary school..."

"Ooo~! So you know~?" he produced a book titled, 'Girls in Love: Win His Love. Spell Book.' "Even among curses this is quite popular~!"

'That's no curse...'

"No, it's a curse." Kiiro whipped around to face Kanazuki, jumping like the Twins and Tamaki.

'Mind reader?'

"Perfect timing, Haninozuka-senpai." she said in a flat manner. "A strand of hair please." she pulled at his head.

"NYAAAAHHHH!"

Mori tried to save him.

"If I bind this with my hair..." she loosely tied the blond and black hairs together. "Our souls will be intertwined."

Tamaki spoke up, "Ummm... could it be... that you like Haninozuka-senpai?"

"Technically speaking, I'm capturing his soul."

"Right... so you're stealing his heart."

"Well... I don't know how to describe it... but, if I put it into words..." her eyes showed no feeling. "Haninozuka-senpai occupies nine-tenths of my thoughts and causes my heart to race... His appearance also matches my fetish, since I like pixies, all I want is to capture his soul." she grinned eerily. "Until I capture Haninozuka-senpai's soul... I will continue to curse him..."

* * *

The curses ranged from chopsticks to writing his name one-hundred times. Everyday Hani would come to the Club Room more and more exhausted. He ate his cake slowly and his eyelids drooped.

'Poor guy...' Kiiro thought sympathetically.

The Twins used King's cards to foresee the future of Hani and Kanazuki, "Their compatibility is perfect! It makes sense though, she likes small, cute things. Also, polar opposite couples are unexpectedly well-matched."

"You guys... try to put yourselves in his shoes a little..."

Kyouya closed his book, "Hani-senpai, what will you do? This is hindering club sales, so if you don't mind, I can use my influence to..."

"Y-yeah but..." Hani's eyes were sad. "I've watched her for a few days now and been thinking... Aside from the Black Magic Club, Kanazuki-chan doesn't seen to have any friends...Maybe, she's really bad at socializing... and curses and spells are her way of communicating with people... That may be her personality, but..."

"Excuse me, Haninozuka-san..." Kanazuki appeared. "... I'd like to borrow that stuffed animal."

'Not Usa-chan!'

"Eh? What are you gonna do with it?" Hani distressed.

"I'll return it tomorrow." she took it in her arms.

"Waaahhh! Definitely not my Usa-chan!" he cried.

Mori intercepted and grabbed Usa-chan from her, "If you want to capture his heart... aren't there other ways to do that?"

"Hand me the stuffed animal, please." she asked flatly. "If you interfere, I'll place a curse of misfortune on you..."

"He won't yield to people who don't consider others' feelings, even if a curse is used..." he lectured. "It doesn't matter how many spells like that a person uses, they won't win his heart..."

"It's not like I didn't consider his feelings..." somewhere behind her flat eyes, Kiiro was sure she saw sadness. "I don't expect anyone to understand my situation. I don't expect to be liked by anyone or anything like that... Since it's impossible for me to just talk to him, I used a curse from the beginning..."

"That's not how it is Kanazuki-chan..." Hani explained. "To get someone to understand you, you need to talk to them. If you want them to like you, you should talk to them a lot! I don't like to have my feelings changed by a curse! Things that Kanazuki-chan likes, is not good at, or makes you happy... If you talked more about those things, I'd like to ear them!"

Kanazuki actually blushed.

"Kanazuki-chan, you know I... I like people who put in an effort, even if they're not good at something~..." his grin was something they hadn't seen before, more charming than sugary.

'That was playboyish...'

"I... I like cur-curses and... I'm not very good at socializing... but, that day, you offered your hand when I fell in the hallway, and... smiled at me... I was so happy." she spouted.

"Ah, I remember... you're the girl that tripped on Usa-chan when I dropped him..." he smiled sweetly.

"What?"

'So, he started it?'

"Well then, Kanazuki-chan, should we eat cake first~?"

"Y... yes!"

After that, every once in a while, Kanazuki visited the Host Club. She was trying to cut back on cursing things... which was an improvement...

* * *

'Tomorrow is the start of summer vacation!' she stretched and yawned. 'I can catch up on my sleep!' she thought with a smile.

Something was odd, though. Haruhi hadn't been coming to club activities lately. Kiiro knew she'd get caught up in the investigation over her vacation. So, she made a mental note to remind the housemaids to not let anyone into her room while she slept. Though really, she doubted her word would override her father's insistence that the Evil Shadow King ought to be allowed to check on her at any time. She sighed. What was he trying to pull with an order like that, anyhow?

* * *

"I see! I see! Tomorrow is summer vacation," Tamaki started with a smile. "... so Haruhi didn't come to club today because she didn't feel up to it!"

He fell over dramatically, backward, with a gush of tears.

"Tama-chan!"

"Recently I feel like I'm being avoided..." King huddled up on the floor in a puddle of his own tears. "Even when I speak, the answer seems so far away... Why? Was I too harsh? Like I took a knife to that maiden's pure heart and ripped it part!" he cried.

"Isn't it summer? Tono's going overboard."

"Tono's feelings are clouded because Haruhi's not here." the boys said distantly, not quite taking an interest in their King's hysterics.

Everyone crowded around Tamaki, who was having a fit.

"Why this?!"

"Hika-chan! Kao-chan! Stop flailing!"

"What we're trying to say is, Haruhi ran off before we could stop her!" the Twins argued. "We don't know her summer plans!"

In a calm voice Kyouya prompted them, "Ahh... Everyone, I don't see what's strange about this but, have you considered that Haruhi may be going to the neighboring school to meet up with Misuzu's daughter?"

'How come he never tells us anything useful until it's too late?'

Tamaki's voice became scratchy, "Kyou...ya..." King grabbed his shoulder.

"It seems that he has a daughter in the same grade as Haruhi. He and his wife separated seven years ago. Her mother remarried and raised her. Her step-father is on a business trip for one month. Her family made arrangements so she could stay with Misuzu." he explained as if it were common knowledge.

"So, Misuzu's a divorcee?"

"How is Haru-chan involved?"

"Misuzu took her in so she could stay in Japan with her mother's consent, believing it was in her best interests. Really, it must have been a sight to see Misuzu's face. She arrived at his house and left as soon as she came."

'Poor Misuzu...'

"Misuzu ran over to the Fujioka house, worried. And asked Haruhi to become her friend."

"I see..."

"But, why does Haruhi have to see her after school? Hey, is Tono crying?"

King had big tears in his eyes, he hugged himself, "I understand... I full-heartedly understand Misuzu's pain and suffering!" he took on his 'let's help' pose with his index finger and thumb in the air. "To release this kindred spirit! Let's go everyone! We must bring Misuzu and his daughter together with love!"

'There goes my summer vacation...' Kiiro whined.

* * *

They were in Kyouya's limo. In front of the all-girls school located nearby where Misuzu's daughter attended.

"Haruhi's supposed to arrive here!" Tamaki pointed.

"It would have been better just to anticipate her time of arrival..." Kyouya patronized.

"Ah~! I see her~! Haru-chan~!" Hani peered out the window.

"Eh?"

"Ehhh?"

"Ehhhhh?"

Tamaki and the Twins stared at Haruhi, who was wearing the cute red skirt and plain blouse of the uniform of that school.

She greeted one of the girls, "Ah! Mei-chan! Great, just in time..."

The girl, who was very tan and wore a thick layer of makeup, replied, "Why are you here?" she looked annoyed. "Don't you see I'm trying to run away from these meets!" she hid her face.

The boys deadpanned, "Gah!"

Her appearance really was over the top, her skin was nearly orange and her lipstick was caked on and her mascara and liner were way too heavy and dark, along with this her hair was ultra blonde and crimped.

"But, Misuzu requested that..."

"Misuzu! He's actually Isao! I-sa-o!" she yelled. "That big-boned, cross-dressing okama!"

'She's very loud...' the club slumped, thinking of the gentle, softspoken girls that visited the Host Club.

"What's that in the bag?" The girl, Mei, asked.

"I changed out of the Ouran uniform in the station's bathroom..." Haruhi explained. "It wouldn't be right for me to stand outside of this school with an Ouran uniform on."

"What are you doing walking around with plain clothes at a rich man's school? Rumors can be started that way! The point is you're a woman! And a woman's a woman!" she screeched at her.

"She really has a problem with cross-dressing..." Kiiro analyzed.

They got out of the car, Tamaki turned on his charm. "And so, I wish to say good job, miss. I agree with your speech, pleased to meet you." he held out a hand. "I'm Tamaki Suoh and these are my assistants."

"What's with that?" the Twins protested.

Mei turned to Haruhi for a private conversation but everyone could hear her, "Wait a minute! He's very beautiful! Are these your friends?"

"Excuse me, are you Mei-chan?" Tamaki asked.

"Yes~! I'm Mei Yasumura~! Pleased to meet you~!" she cheered with a smile.

"You have such beautiful light brown skin, tell me, are you mixed?"

She looked offended, "No, it's just a suntan."

"Your makeup gives off such a solid, strong sensation that is full of passion." Tamaki smiled. "Is it for the stage?"

Mei's jaw dropped.

"That skirt is very short~! Aren't you cold~?" Hani.

"Ah, maybe it's for tennis?" Kyouya.

"Your hair is unnaturally blonde, do you dye it?" Kiiro.

"Ooh! Her eyelashes are long!" Hikaru.

"I wonder if she's seen without makeup as much as with it?" Kaoru.

"She seems to resemble Misuzu a lot!" Hikaru and Kaoru.

"Wait, are they trying to insult me?!" she balled her fists.

Haruhi looked annoyed.

"Mei-chan, where do you stay at~?"

"What about your home, if Misuzu's place is so unbearable, why not just live alone?"

"Shut up! If I were to do that, my mother would scold me!" she yelled at the Twins. "Starting this month, I'll have my friend walk me to the hotel I'm staying at!"

'Who stays at a hotel for a whole month?'

"Eh? You're staying at a hotel for a whole month?" they all asked.

"Can you please be quiet...?" Haruhi sighed.

"Enough let's go!" Mei grabbed Haruhi.

"Mei-chan, about that..."

"Let's go to the karaoke so I can get my mind off this! It's your obligation!"

But, there was no escaping them, the Hosts followed up in the car.

"Eh? Karaoke?" the Twins.

"Can we go?" Kiiro.

"I wanna go~~~!" Hani.

"Of course, that's what commoner's do, karaoke!" Tamaki.

"Sounds great!" Kyouya.

"I get it.. they got out of that car...!" Mei griped.

* * *

They sat in one of the booths at the Karaoke Restaurant.

"Number 10. Tamaki Suoh," King announced, holding the microphone. "...will sing "Shitetsu Ensen"."

Hani grabbed a tambourine and Mori grabbed the maracas.

'What an interesting sort of place.' Kiiro mused, smiling. Of course, she would never be able to work up the nerve to sing in front of anyone.

"Haruhi, why don't you sing?"

"Yes!" Tamaki stopped midsong. "A duet between father and dau-..."

"No thanks." Haruhi stomped out his hopes. "Now, if you'll excuse me I'll have to use the restroom." she walked off.

King sulked in the corner.

"Hey, wait, umm... Do you want to sing? I can sing with you..." Mei offered.

"Thanks, that's kind of you, Mei-chan."

"Eh? Don't worry about the kindness!" Mei yelled.

'Why does she have to yell?'

"Hey, hey, Mei-chan~!" Hani stopped eating cake, momentarily. "What other things do you like besides karaoke~? Do you like cake~?"

"I like to make... clothes..." she answered.

"Like father, like daughter?" Kiiro smiled.

"Eh? Misuzu is the same, too." the Twins pointed out.

"Wah? What do you mean like him?" she screeched at them.

"Do you really not like your father that much?"

"You don't know him..." she frowned. "That man... that man's room...Does it have to have that overwhelmingly cute style?"

"Isn't that expected?"

"Every single year on my birthday he sends me cute clothes!" she griped. "Wouldn't that normally be what a mother does? When I was little, I really liked him! But, then... he gave up being a banker! What's with that? Now he's this... this!"

"Hey, hey look..." Tamaki tried to stop her anger. "Haruhi's father is..."

"A father isn't supposed to be that way!" she yelled. "Is throwing away as much as the daughter..." she hid her face.

Tamaki saw right through her, "I see... you're feeling sad..."

One and a half Hani songs later, Haruhi came back from the bathroom. Tamaki hid his face behind a magazine.

"But, he obviously wants her attention." Kyouya pointed out, quietly.

Kiiro nodded, the only one that heard him, "She's been avoiding him lately..."

"Um... Tamaki-senpai..." Haruhi started.

Tamaki looked up happily, like a little puppy.

"Wait!" Mei grabbed her. "You need to come with me to the bathroom."

"Eh... why are we going to the bathroom now? Hey! Hey!" Haruhi struggled.

"Ne, Kyouya?" Kiiro wondered.

"Yes?"

"Do you think... Mei likes Tamaki?" she whispered.

"Well, it's likely..."

"Is this going to interfere with our summer vacation?"

"Also likely..."

They sighed.

* * *

Lo and behold, "Kiiro, wake up."

Kiiro burrowed into her covers, not even half-awake.

"Let's not do this again..." Kyouya pulled on her comforter.

"Too tired..." she whined.

"Get up, Kiiro." he tried once more.

She rolled away from his voice, "Make me." she challenged, regretting the words as soon as they came out of her mouth.

He chuckled, "I will." he tugged the blankets off of her.

"Why does this keep happening to me?" she whined, trying to squirm away.

He leaned over her, an arm and a leg on either side of her, "You're the one...who wanted me in your bed." he whispered in her ear.

"That was a slip of the tongue!" she was fully awake now and her face became cherry red.

"Besides, I believe "invading your bed" was one of the things I said I would start doing more often, now?" he kissed her, smirk apparent.

Her heart thudded in her chest, "H-hey, Kyouya!" she squeaked, wiggling.

"What?" he grinned. "You aren't trying to get away from me, are you?" he held her wrists together with one hand, effectively preventing her retreat.

She kissed him, putting as much passion into it as she was willing to give him, "Kyouya..." she protested.

He cocked his head at her, wanting to stay like this.

"Come on." she pouted. "You've already woken me up. Though, as of yet, I don't know what for..."

He sighed and sat up beside her, "It's Mei. She wanted all of us to spend the day with her." he explained.

"Even Haruhi?"

"She doesn't have to go."

"Why do I have to go, then?" she whined, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I've gotten used to you being around to help calm everyone down. Besides, you owe me. Though, there are other ways..." he kissed her, running a hand down her back.

She shot up like a bolt of lightning had hit her, "So, I'm told, but, I'm going to have to pass." she pulled away. "Give me ten minutes."

* * *

Kiiro often found herself admiring commoner things but, trains were something different. She liked looking out the window while they slowly made their way all around Tokyo on the Yamanote Line but, she wasn't as interested as most of the Hosts. Tamaki, the Twins, Hani and Mori crowded around the window across from Kyouya and Kiiro. Kyouya was currently pretending not to know any of them. Mei stood in the middle of the train car annoyed by the fawning Hosts.

"I hope she gets tired of them." Kiiro sighed. "I can get more sleep that way."

"She won't." Kyouya said simply.

"Hey, how did you get in my house anyway? I told all of the staff to not let you in."

He smiled. "I believe your father's word ranks over yours."

"Why don't you just call me if you want me to go with you?" she crossed her arms.

"That never wakes you up. Besides, it's fun waking you up the way I do."

"Of course it is. You practically take advantage of me every time." she whispered.

"Well, it wakes you up. And, you know, it could get much worse." he raised his eyebrow.

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

She glared at him.

The rest of the day passed by quickly, eating commoner's convenient food, like dango. And they all went to an amusement park, to Mei's dismay. She wnted to go to fancy boutiques and restaurants. Kiiro suspected the next day would go just like this one.

Her suspicions were correct.

* * *

"You know," she heard Kyouya's voice again. "I'm not even going to bother warning you."

He got into bed with her, lying on his side next to her.

"Kyouya." she tried. "Get out of my bed."

"Not until you wake up." he smirked.

She attempted to roll away from him but he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her closer.

"K-Kyouya, stop that!" she protested from against his chest, their close proximity making her feel like she was about to melt.

"Stop what?"

"Get out of my bed, Kyouya, what if someone were to walk in?" she fidgeted.

He smiled, "Do you want me to lock the door?" he kissed her neck.

She blushed, "I-I'm awake!" and sat up quickly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, very sure!" she hopped off the bed heading to pick out her clothes.

He sighed, "But I was having fun..."

"Yeah, and now I'm awake and we can go do whatever Mei wants to do." she rifled through her dresser.

"Kiiro?" he got off of her bed, making his way to her. He was so close, she could feel the heat off of him from behind her, he grabbed her arm, hand sliding down to meet with hers, she stayed completely still, heart beating at one-hundred miles per minute, "Did I find a sensitive spot?" he nearly purred. He kissed her neck again, and her whole body was awash in heat for a moment.

"N-no!" she covered her neck, whipping around in his hold. "Y-you're such a pervert!"

"And you're a horrible liar." he got even closer to her, pushing her back against the dresser, trapping her with his arms and hips, "Why the rush? We still have plenty of time to get ready." he smirked.

She felt her heart jump, "Kyou-Kyouya?"

His smirk became a grin.

* * *

'Purikura and arcade games, all day...' Kiiro thought exhausted. She looked down at all the photos she had in her bag. Four photos with Hani and Mori, four with the Twins, four with Tamaki, four with Mei and four with Kyouya.

She blushed at the last set of photos, Kyouya had kissed her in the last picture. She remembered how he had ripped them out of the machine before anyone else could see them and pressed them into her hand.

"What did you do?" Hikaru asked on one side of her.

"Can we see them?" Kaoru asked on the other side of her.

"Nothing and no." she replied as coolly as was possible.

"Why not?"

Tamaki yelled, "Hikaru! Kaoru! Look at this game!" saving Kiiro from their pestering.

'Kyouya's always teasing me...' she sighed, her blush remaining, remembering what had happened that morning. 'And...I do like him...' her heart fluttered. 'Wait...is "like" the right word?'

He always had a way of confusing her, so she put her thoughts of feelings on the backburner, 'Maybe I shouldn't wonder about what it is too much...' she mused as she showered.

When she left the shower, she found the perfect spot in her room to put the pictures up, save for one of course. Thinking, 'Whatever it is I'm feeling...' she grinned to herself. 'I'm happy.'

She fell asleep easily.

* * *

She heard the door open and sighed, "Kyouya, get into my bed again and I'll kill you..."

There was a silence before, "What was that?"

"What are you talking about?"

Neither voice belonged to Kyouya. Her heart dropped to her stomach like a stone. The Hitachiin Twins stood at the foot of her bed, identical devilish gleamings set in their golden eyes. She sat up, face red and silent, not knowing what to do.

"What was what?" she spouted, nervously.

"Why was Kyouya-senpai..." Hikaru turned to Kaoru.

"...in Kiiro-senpai's bed?" Kaoru turned to Hikaru.

They snickered and grinned evilly.

"What?" she asked, mock innocently, trying to save herself.

"We knew it!" they pointed.

"Kyouya, I can't stand it anymore, I love you!" Kaoru said in a high-pitched voice, linking his arms around Hikaru's neck, face drawing nearer his brother's.

"Kiiro, come join me...on your bed." Hikaru said in a lower voice, putting his arms around Kaoru's waist, pressing their foreheads together.

She balled her fists and threw a pillow at them, "You boys are so gross! I must have been having a nightmare and...and I was sleep talking!" she raged, "How did you even get in my room, anyway?!"

"We used Kyouya-senpai's special privileges." they presented peace signs. "And now we understand why he has them~!" they cackled, teasing her.

"Get out of my room!" she yelled, throwing another pillow at them.

* * *

The entire time they were at the zoo that day, Kiiro tried not to think about what the Twins had said.

'Well, it's not really like that... Kind of... But, it's not like we're that..._serious_...' she thought. 'Are we?'

"Is something wrong, Kiiro?" Kyouya asked her as they visited the giraffes. "You've been distant all day."

Her face reddened at his gaze, all she could imagine was his arms around her waist.

"You're not avoiding me, are you?" he smiled.

"W-why did you have to send the Twins to wake me up?" she whined.

"So that's what it is." he shrugged. "I had to go get Tamaki, and the Twins were the only ones I could call." he chuckled. "Why, what did they do?"

"W-well, I thought it was you at first..."

"Oh, so you expected me to come to your bed?"

"N-no!" her heart sped up. "But, as soon as they walked in I said for you to not get in my bed..."

He laughed, "And what did they say to that?"

"They put on a 'brotherly love' act, only Kaoru pretended to be me and Hikaru pretended to be you..."

"I wish I had seen your reaction." he grinned in a way that made her chest tighten near painfully, in a way that reached his eyes.

"I'm glad you find it humorous." she sighed. "I'm traumatized."

"Oh, you let me push you up against your dresser and kiss you for nearly twenty minutes but, the twincest act is what gets to you?" he whispered, with an intensity in his eyes.

She felt her face heat up, "I..."

He smirked and walked off to catch up with the group, "C'mon, Kiiro, they'll be wondering where we are."

She let her heartbeat slow down as she watched him walk farther off.

'This feeling is... Is it love?'


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty: The Sports Festival (Part Two).**

Kirro wasn't particularly amazed at how fast the word spread around the school. It seemed that everyone knew about the events that were going to take place. Most even knew who it was that wanted the festival in the first place.

The one thing that worried Kirro was Kyouya. He was completely uninterested in the festival. If Tamaki knew, he would try to rile him up. Which, is never a good idea.

Haruhi had also taken note of how bored Kyouya was of the idea, "Kyouya-senpai, you should participate in the festival with us."

To which Kyouya replied, "Me, being nonathletic , doing it together with you? It's just that I don't want to waste any effort on something that doesn't give me any merit."

"But, Kyo-chan, if you participate in the festival, customers might increase~!" Hani tried to make it sound appealing.

"Of course, I've thought of Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai's activities. I might sell them in DVD format. But, this Sports Festival is only profitable to the sports clubs. Unlike the Culture Festival, there's no point in appealing to the parents. And, to increase customers somewhat would require me to waste my time training, if I think of all the minuses that come of the Sports Festival, there's no gain." Kyouya sighed.

"Then, if you had objected more..."

"You can't stop Tamaki's energy."

The door to the Music Room was flung open, "Hey! Listen to this! I can't believe this!" Hikaru yelled. Kaoru followed him in, his expression much more calm. Hikaru continued, "The teams were made with the attendance numbers! Kaoru and I are on different teams! Haruhi and I are on the Red Team, while Kaoru is on the White Team! Kyouya-senpai! Please ask Tono to change the method of assignment!"

"Ask him yourself."

"Takashi and I are on different teams as well~!" Hani explained. "Takashi is on the Red Team and I'm on the White Team~! What team is Tama-chan on~?"

"Who knows? He's probably on the Red Team." Kyouya rested his head on his hand. "Kirro and I were assigned to the White Team, so if we follow the order..."

"Hahaha! Exactly!" Tamaki dashed in on his cue. "The organizer of this Sports Festival and the vice cheif of the Red Team is no other than myself! Red Team will definitely win!" he got in Kyouya's face. "Kyouya! Since we're on different teams, we need to go all out! That way out friendship will deepen even more!"

"Is it really friendship when you're organizing it even though I'm against it." Kyouya asked, trying to conceal his anger.

"W-well I'm sorry, Kyouya! But, if you participate then we can all have fun!"

"Really? I thought there wasn't a meaningful reason..." Kyouya stood up. "Even though there's no merit, I have to sweat in a futile event... I have no preference in sports and I refuse the cheif position of the White Team."

"Kyouya!" Tamaki tried.

"Tamaki. Sorry, but, leave me alone." he walked out the door. "This time I don't like your way of doing things."

'Kyouya.'

"Can it be? He's really pissed."

"He said a lot of things about merits, but the truth is he's mad because he feels betrayed by Tama-chan."

"Yeah. He may not appear during the Sports Festival."

"But... That wasn't my intention at all..." Tamaki frowned. "I just thought he could have some fun in a fight where he could go all out. Besides, if I had won I was going to ask for rights to use his kotatsu all year."

Kirro sighed, "I'm going to go find him."

It didn't take long for Kirro to find him.

"You're the leader of the White Team, right?" she heard Kuze's voice. "What's with the sad look?"

Kirro listened from behind one of the pillars of the hallway. 'Don't egg him on, Kuze.'

"No, I refused the position." Kyouya's voice was bordering on icy.

"Ah... Just like I thought. After all, you're just Suoh's purse, you can't beat him in a public event, can you?"

'That jerk!'

"You can only restrain yourself. If you were in a fight against Suoh, you would give up so he could have all of the praise. How troubling it is to be the third son of the Ootori family."

'Who does he think he is?' Kirro peeked around the pillar and saw the menacing aura that enveloped Kyouya.

Kuze ran off, having just seen a demon.

"...Kirro?" Kyouya turned.

'Great, he saw me.'

"Why are you hiding?"

"Umm..." she knew the question was rhetorical.

He walked back to her.

"Tell me, Kirro, why would I restrain myself for Tamaki?" he stood before her and put a hand on either side of her.

"W-well..."

"Why would I restrain myself for anybody?" he raised an eyebrow.

Kirro followed him back to the Third Music Room.

'It's hard trying to adjust your collar while running...' she fiddled with her shirt, trying to hide the red marks left by Kyouya's teeth. 'If the Twins see these, my life will become a living hell...'

Kyouya grabbed her wrist and pulled her down the last corridor.

"Hey!" he got the attention of all the Hosts. "You guys! If the Red Team wins, I'll let you use my kotatsu all year round! Is that clear?" he snapped back to normal. "Kaoru, is there list of the members of the White Team?"

"Kyou..." Tamaki tried.

"Eh... yeah... probably in the Student Council Room." Kaoru replied.

"Hani-senpai, can you supervise the training of the members from tomorrow on?"

"Yeah~! I'll do it~!" Hani held up his hands.

Kyouya continued, "I will gather the data of each member to determine which activities fit them. I'll also think up a strategy. Kirro, Kaoru, you two will become my supports."

"Understood." Kirro nodded.

"Roger!" Kaoru saluted.

"Kyouya! My friend!" Tamaki cheered, reaching out to embrace Kyouya. "You thought it over! Let the both of us..."

"I am also overwhelmed by hatred, I must find a way to convert it..." Kyouya adjusted his glasses, the murderous aura was almost visible. "I'll crush you and Kuze-senpai!" he pointed. "The victory belongs to the White Team." Kirro, Kaoru and Hani stood around him, victorious smiles gleamed. "Just do your best with your friendship and your vigorous power!"

Everyone on the Red Team was taken aback by the black aura.

There was quite a bit of planning to do. Everyday the White Team retreated to Meeting Room One to make a concrete strategy, assign members to events, and take their training orders from Hani.

"In any case, let's study the data of both the Red and White Team's members." Kyouya stated, holding up a bundle of files. "One's physical ability is, of course, attributed to one's personality. It is necessary to investigate if there are any changes during club activities, even the reason for the ups and downs in results."

"However, Kyouya, how could they be related to the match?" Matsudaira, the Student Council President asked.

"Excuse me for my impoliteness, Student Council President." Ayame adjusted her glasses. "But, if we don't study the data as much as possible, then, in terms of athletic power, the Red Team has the advantage. Ootori, have you thought about this? We need a plan to beat these spirited guys."

"Yeah!" Kaoru interjected. "It aims at fully using the opponents' weaknesses!"

"Well, isn't it mean? As expected of Kyouya..." Mitsuyama chuckled.

"Haninozuka-senpai, how about I study this curse that halves the fighting spirit of the opponents..." Kanazuki offered.

"Okay, Kanazuki-chan~!" Hani wolfed down his cake before he ordered the boys in the back of the room, "Idling guys have to run fifty laps around the field!"

"Kaoru, I have the reports on all second-years printed." Kirro handed the large stack of papers to the twin.

Kyouya explained, "The contests where we have to secure points are the Bread Eating Contest and the last Relay." he glanced over a report. "And the contests after the Cheerleading Contest, which is in the middle of the program." he hesitated. "Especially the contests after the Cheerleading Contest. If they selected the wrong members, there is a high probability that we would earn a lot of points during in the Tug of War. It is where we can make the most points."

"What do we do with the Cheerleading Contest, Kyouya-senpai?" Kaoru asked.

"There was a picture taken from a Cheerleading Contest at a normal school. Kirro, would you design costumes like these?" he handed her the photo.

"Okay?" she questioned the costumes.

"The Cheerleading in itself doesn't yield any points." Kyouya continued. "It is simply done to motivate those who dislike sports, to awaken their honor so they can accomplish something. Please make a compilation of these." he ordered Kaoru.

"Okay!"

"But, Ootori..." one boy began. "Is it okay to do this so simply? Tamaki Suoh is on the Red Team after all, he will do something extremely showy."

"Like I said before, senpai, the Red Team will uselessly put strength in the Cheerleading Contest." Kyouya smiled. "They don't think of efficiently using their physical strength. They will wear themselves out more and more during the following contests, I can see them having a lot of difficulties." his smile edged on demonic. "Let's show that idiot that you can't win by doing anything you like."

Just about anyone in the room that didn't know him shivered.

'The grin gets worse by the second...'

"Kirro-senpai!" Haruhi caught up with Kirro in the hall. "I need to ask you something."

"Hello, Haruhi, what is it?" she settled against the wall.

"Well, it's something Tamaki-senpai said yesterday. He said, 'Kyouya's a 'fiery guy'."

Kirro chuckled, "You know, I've known him for almost ten years and I still don't understand him." she shrugged. "But, Tamaki's right. Kyouya, he may hide it, but, he's easily effected. If you say the right words, he'll fly off the handle just like Tamaki or the Twins would."

"Do you think that's why Tamaki-senpai wanted this Sports Festival?"

"So he could go all out?" Kirro put her index finger on her chin. "I've been wondering the same thing... Probably, but, he's bitten off more than he could chew."

At the same time they heard, "Kirro-senpai!" "Haruhi!"

Both girls turned their heads in opposite directions, Kaoru dragged Kirro off while Hikaru dragged Haruhi off.

"No conversing with the enemy!" the boys yelled in unison.

Kirro sighed, 'I can't wait for this Festival to be over.'

"By the way, Kirro-senpai, Kyouya-senpai wants to talk to you." Kaoru informed her.

"Oh boy..." Kirro smiled sarcastically.

"Which team do you think will win?" Kyouya asked her as she treaded into Meeting Room One. She was the only one there with him.

"I can't really say, Kyouya. We have the intellectual advantage, but spirit is nothing to sneeze at, and Tamaki's always got an abundance of spirit." she shrugged.

"Really now?" he shut his laptop. "Even though we've set up an immaculate strategy?"

"Yes." she sat on the table. "Though, I have to say, if you were to go all out like Tamaki wants you to, there'd be no doubt in my mind that White Team would win."

"Hn." he stood up in front of her. "What makes you think that?"

"You're a 'fiery guy' after all." she smirked.

"Have you been talking to Tamaki?"

"Haruhi actually, though, to be fair, it was Tamaki that said it."

"So, you were fraternizing with the enemy?"

"That's almost exactly what the Twins said."

"Really?" Kyouya put an arm around her waist. "I don't approve of that."

"Well, I'm feeling daring today, so, I don't really care." she smiled.

"Hm? That's a shame. You should." he moved her collar over, revealing the disappearing pink marks on her neck. "Because, how... torturous I am depends on how 'daring' you feel today."

"Great..." Kirro murmured.

"You know, if you had only said that I would win in the first place, this wouldn't be happening to you."

"What? Did you want me to lie?" she wondered why it was so fun to ruffle his feathers. "You know I'm a horrible liar."

"You really are daring today, aren't you?" he licked her neck. Which served to put a halt to her daring streak.

"U-umm..."

"Cat got your tongue?" he chuckled.

"The day has come at last! We have superb clear autumn weather! Great weather for a sports festival!" The announcer shouted. "Now, at last! We declare the Sports Festival of the High School Section of Ouran Academy, open!"

Kirro zipped up her white and black jacket to her uniform sweatsuit. The teams faced each other. Some, like Hani, posed with a peace sign. Others, like the Student Council President, held their stomachs in anguish. And Kyouya faced Tamaki with a straight face.

"Now, at last, it has started!"

Kirro took her seat in the middle of the lavish arena for the first event.

"The first contest is the 'Bread Guessing Contest', which is limited to girls. Italian classic table sets have been placed in the center of the field! It is a modest present from the Chairman to the ladies in commemoration of the Sports Festival. Each table has three types of croissants. They were offered by the famous Ricchie and Rio Grand Hotel from France, who bake their breads in a magnificent, traditional way. The girls have recieved the so-called, 'Kiki Bread'. The ones who guess the three types of bread correctly will go through the goal 5m from here."

Kirro sighed, 'This isn't even a sport.'

"May I?"

"That was fast! Jonochi from the White Team has called the waiter! She is the first to guess correctly!" the waiter held up a sign with an 'o' on it. "Quickly followed by Toryo also from the White Team! They gracefully reach the goal, the first two points won by the White Team!"

"Great guess, Kirro." Ayame adjusted her glasses.

"Same to you, Ayame."

"What's this? There is something wrong at the Red tables?"

All the Red Team girls were holding their hands over their mouths. "In... inside the bread there's something like fish meat." one girl coughed.

"The Red Team's girls are retiring one after another! It is the White Team's complete victory!"

'Way to sabotage your own team Tamaki...' Kirro was guessing he put ootoro in all of their bread for Haruhi to try. Too bad Haruhi couldn't participate in that event. Kirro could hear Tamaki yelling from the other side of the arena.

"Next is the boys 100m! The first runners must line up in front of the starting line! On your mark... get set... go!"

The White Team boys ran off but, those in the Red Team were too distracted by Tamaki making a commotion.

'Well, his fits are working to our advantage.'

"The Red Team should concentrate! They got a totally late start! The White Team has reached the goal! What is the Red Team doing? While they're quarreling the White Team is steadily gaining points! For the second contest, it is again White Team's complete victory!"

"Wow." Kirro remarked.

"Leader!" Kaoru announced. "Our opponents are already self-destructing!"

"They are really stupid~." Hani clutched Usa-chan.

"So that was why you requested the best ones to participate in the Bread Guessing Contest." Matsudaira commented.

"As expected of Kyouya!" Mitsuyama smiled. "If something can leave them in a terrible condition, you'll see it!"

"It's too early to rejoice everybody." Kyouya quieted them. "The ones who lose concentration during a match are the ones who lose." he crossed his left leg over his right. "With this stream, let's steadily earn points."

"Next is the mixed ball throwing contest."

Kirro hopped up, it seemed simple but, Kirro was rather good at throwing balled up papers into a wastebasket. Every event was carefully thought through.

"Ball throwing consists of throwing as many beanbags as possible into a basket 4m above. In other words, it is a simple stupid commoner's game. This time, the basket that will be used is a national treasure! It is Betsubuuemon's traditional bamboo work. As for the beanbags, they were manually tied and colored by the famous Kyuuyuuzen, 'Aoi Yama'.

Kirro, with the rest of the White Team easily flung the beanbags into the basket. The Red Team, however were picking up the beanbags, because Mei, who was in the crowd, was ordering them to.

"What? The Red Team is ignoring the basket and is instead collecting the beanbags to give to Fujioka! They don't have any points so far! White Team's complete victory!"

"Say, could it be that you invited Mei-chan to...?" Kaoru started.

"I only invited Ranka so he could see Haruhi preforming in an event." Kyouya stopped him.

"Next is the Male Hurdle Contest! Both teams elite male runners are present for this contest! First, a notable candidate in this race, the Captain of the Soccer Club, Kotaru Mitake!"

"Go, Kotaru!" the Red Team hollered.

Kirro observed as White Team's Nanakura struck up a conversation with Mitake. Kyouya whispered to her, "Because of the connection between their families, Kotaru will get nervous and slow."

'He really has every step planned.'

Sure enough, "The winner of the race is White Team's Nanakura! It can't be! Mitake is third?"

As time passed by, "The White Team also wins the next race! The White Team is strong! Did the Red Team's participants lose because of the pressure? Before the start we could see they were shaking a lot!"

The next race was almost underway, "Eh? What's this? I can make out the shape of Nekozawa from the Black Magic Club! He must be an unexpectedly fast runner! On your mark... ready... go!"

The stadium lights lit up. Nekozawa screamed and fell back, trying to scoot away from the light.

"Oh! He went in the reverse direction! Spotlight trouble and an unlikely reverse direction-taking! Nekozawa is disqualified!" The Red Team lost another point.

Kaoru turned, "Eh? It's the Chairman?" he looked through the crowd. "I thought it was good that Haruhi's parents came to the festival but, some other's came too."

"Kyouya shrugged, "He must have had some time off."

"Both my parents are at work, oh well. But, where are yours?" he asked Kyouya.

"They won't come." he answered simply. "If my parents had taken the initiative to come, I would of planned my strategy of my position."

"Differently? How do you mean?"

"My strategy would have consisted of gaining popularity." his glasses gleamed. "I would have worked way more on the White Team's activities to appeal to them."

"I see..." Kaoru sighed.

"Kirro, the candy-crafting event is starting, don't mess up." Kyouya smirked.

"No pressure, right?" she glared at him.

"Now, it is the last competition of the first half of the Sports Festival. 'The Candy-Crafting Contest'! Each participate must complete their sculpture following a topic to win!"

While Kirro worked the candy into form she listened to the announcer, "Look at Suoh's smooth technique! Such a serious expression! He is easily creating an object appropriate enough to be called an artistic masterpiece! But, can his technique beat Toryo's, a top art student and his own club's Art Director?" the girls squealed while watching Tamaki.

Tamaki finished his project at the same time as Kirro. Kirro looked over her little pink bunny. 'The topic was 'cute'.'

"Now, the result of Suoh's performance." the bear Tamaki presented was..."Ah!... It's horrible! All members of the jury give him bad points! The Red Team scores badly! Toryo's candy scores high!"

"Sorry, Tamaki..." Kirro apologized sincerely.

"Because of this, the Red Team has 63 points to the White Team's 183! There is a difference of 120 in the scores! White Team dominates totally!"

"No apologizing to the enemy Kirro." Kyouya warned.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Good."

"The Red Team's Cheerleading performance will begin right away!"

"I wonder if they will play Macbeth?" Mitsuyama mused. "Or maybe Romeo and Juliet?"

"No... whatever they play for this Sports Festival, Shakespeare's plays will end badly..." Kaoru explained.

"In any case, the Red Team should give up soon, they have lost their fighting spirit, right?" Ayame thought aloud.

"At this point, tragedy or comedy, whatever they play, they can't deny the fact that this kind of performance is inappropriate, right~?" Hani questioned.

"Yes, something unexpected can't possibly happen." Kyouya sighed.

"I don't know, Kyouya... I can't shake this feeling..." Kirro frowned.

"I am the muse god of fire poetry." they heard Hikaru say. "I was given the glorious strength of imagination. Actors and nobles. We are in the battlefield from this little scene. Now, under Agincourt's sky, there are countless, shaking helmets without any strength left."

"This... it's from 'Henry V'!"

"It's a historical play!"

"'Agincourt' which means it's the decisive battle of the Hundred Years War in the 15th century~."

"Yes... the scene where King Henry speaks to the English soldiers when they lost hope because of the great number of enemies in front of them, it's famous."

Tamaki surfaced in King Henry's suit, "It is not my wish to fight alongside cowards who fear death."

Kirro could see the realization in Kyouya's face. They all knew this was the perfect play to raise morale.

"However, gentlemen!" Tamaki went on. "If you fight today's battle to the end, you can return safely to your homes! I think that, in times when today's battle is spoken of, you will be able to strengthen your chest and feel proud of yourself! People are forgetful. Even if others forget all about today, the recollection of this day's honor and happiness will stay fresh in our memories! If you fear defeat and leave this place, then you will curse yourself afterwards. That is why, even if we are only a few people, we will be the group who is granted happiness! On this day, in this battle, those who shed blood, each of them will become my brothers! Then, gentlemen! Let's go! God is blessing all of our brothers!" Tamaki yelled.

The Red Team flung their fists up in unison.

Kyouya smiled.

The White Team's cheering team were nothing in comparison.

'And I worked so hard on creating their animal masks and uniforms...'

"In prayer for victory of the White Team! We send yells to the White Team! Go! Go! W-H-I-T-E!"

"Ootori," Ayame began. "Look at the energy level of the Red Team! We didn't expect that."

"Yeah! Didn't you say they were supposed to waste all their energy cheering and collapse entirely!"

"There's no need to worry." Kyouya said calmly. "Thanks to their self-destructive efforts in the first half, we've gained more lead than we planned. And, we have a team of elite athletes and Hani-senpai for the obstacle race after this."

Kirro spectated as Hani greeted Mori and prepared for the race ahead.

"We are kicking off the later half segment with an obstacle race! The highlight of the race is Haninozuka versus Morinozuka! It's a cousin face-off! Ready... set... GO! Morinozuka of Red Team took the lead! Haninozuka is right behind him! Here comes the first obstacle! A triple vaulting horse with twenty tiers each! As expected, Morinozuka is hopping off the vaulting horses with total ease! Small built Haninozuka is at a huge disadvan-!"

"Usa-chaaaan... JUMP!" Hani somersaulted over all three vaulting horses.

"He jumped! This is impossible! He is a super human being! Is it true that he is a bunny rabbit reincarnated?"

'How many rabbits do you know that can jump a twenty-tiered vaulting horse?'

"He effortlessly passed Morinozuka, who is having some trouble getting through the tires!"

Mori wiggled through the tiny tires while Hani easily swept through them.

"They face the next obstacle, 'eating a whole cake'!"

'That's no obstacle for Hani...'

Hani took a big bite of the cake while Mori ate the whole thing in one bite. Mori ran off, taking the lead,

"You have to savor the cake to the full extent!" Hani yelled running after him.

"It seems Haninozuka doesn't like the way Morinozuka ate his cake! He is super scary! I'll never eat cake in front of him! The raged bunny takes the lead with the net obstacle! And he keeps the lead as he moves to the pole vault, the last obstacle!"

Hani hit the bar and fell.

'Oh no!'

Mori pole vaulted and caught Hani.

"Oh my God! Morinozuka caught Haninozuka, who lost balance in midair! What a beautiful cousinly love! And the winner is..."

The judge held up the red flag.

"...Red Team! Morinozuka won because he hit the mattress first! Red Team finally came first!"

Hani hugged Mori.

"No way! I can't believe Hani-senpai lost!" Kaoru yelled as he held onto the railing of the bleachers.

"Don't be so hasty." Kyouya kept his calm composure. "It's just one race-."

"Second race, Red Team comes first!"

"Red Team again!"

Kyouya's eyes snapped open.

"The key person bringing in the sudden victories for Red despite the prediction is him! Red Team's Chief, Takeshi Kuze! Revived Kuze and the members of the Football Club are adding high points to the Red Team one after another! Red Team is on the run with the return of their captain! Which team is going to rule the next three-legged race?"

This was what made Kyouya angry, his eyes glared evilly in front of him and he pushed up his glasses.

Kaoru and Kazukiyo from Class 1A were beaten by Hikaru and Tamaki.

"Red Team, again!"

Tamaki, Haruhi and Hikaru tugged the rope, knocking down Kaoru, Kazukiyo, and Kirro.

"Again, Red Team won the Tug of War! Red Team won tightrope-walking and walking on a ball!"

Kyouya's stare grew distant but never lessened in anger.

"Red Team wins huge points for the Male 1000m race! What a great return the Red Team has shown! It's all down to the last race, the Relay! The difference in score between Red and White is only twelve points! The big moment will be the showdown of the captains as anchors at the end! The winner will get thirty points! The winner of the relay race will rule the field day!"

Kyouya stood up and tossed his jacket at Kirro.

"Kyouya..." she started. 'Good luck.'

"Ah! Red is changing their anchor to Suoh! He'll be slower than Kuze but, we don't have much lead in the score... We might actually lose on this one..."

"Kyouya-senpai!" Kaoru tried. "Why don't you withdraw from the anchor? Luckily, the executive president is watching the race, so you can take advantage from this whole thing by pretending to of planned this all along and let Tono win in the end!"

"You think we can use a trick such as that on the executive president?" Kyouya glanced at him. "And besides, this is not about profit."

Kirro smiled.

"This game is simply about pride... from the beginning!"

"Kao-chan~?"

"Just as I thought, Tono wants Kyouya-senpai to fight without calculating the profits and losses."

Kirro watched as Tamaki warmly greeted Kyouya, who returned his welcome coldly. She could just barely make out their conversation, "By the way, if I win, I'll be issued the "Annual pass for Kotatsu at Kyouya's."" Tamaki stretched. "Don't forget."

'He really likes kotatsu.'

"...If I win," Kyouya retaliated. "...you alone wear only a loincloth at club. But, you have to act like a Western gentleman, nevertheless."

'Ew.'

"If I win, I'll sit on the window side of the airplane when we go on a school trip next month."

'That's not that bad.'

"If I win, you alone will travel in Economy Class. Holding your knees the entire time on top of that."

'That's a little harsh.'

"Huh? How come your penalties are more severe than mine? You throw in extras, too!" Tamaki cried.

"If you consider the trouble I had been going through because of you, those penalties are nothing! You idiot!" Kyouya raged.

"What? I know you enjoy those troubles! Don't put on airs, you twisted buster!"

"Shut up! You don't know how much I'm picking up after your mess? You don't even realize!"

Haruhi, Mori and Hikaru came over, "Look, they're fighting like kids. That's Kyouya-senpai I'm talking about!" the Twins said in unison.

"Wow," Haruhi chuckled. "I didn't know Kyouya-senpai had a face like that."

"Told you." Kirro said in sing-song.

"We finally come to the last race! The first runner has started! Red takes the lead! Is Red Team's counterattack unstoppable?"

"Tamaki-senpai said," Haruhi started. "Kyouya-senpai always thinks about making the Suoh's look good when it comes to public events. Even though it's for his own advantage, Kyouya-senpai lets Tamaki-senpai have a crown which he is more than capable of taking himself."

Kirro nodded, "But, this time, Tamaki wants Kyouya to take that crown himself."

"Oops! There was trouble for Red while passing the baton to the fourth runner!"

One of the Red Team's boys lost the baton and had to stop to pick it up.

"White is quickly gaining on Red and now... both anchors have received the baton at the same time!"

Tamaki and Kyouya took off at the same time at top speed. Tamaki took the lead.

'Come on, Kyouya!' Kirro thought, hoping he could hear her silent encouragement.

Kyouya went neck-and-neck with Tamaki.

The ribbon went to...

"O...Ootori! The winner is Kyouya Ootori!"

Kyouya and Tamaki stopped to catch their breath.

"White Team wins!"

The applause erupted. Tamaki said something and Kyouya replied with a genuine smile.

The Hosts ran up to Tamaki, "Everyone be happy, Red came in second place!"

"Yay! That means we lost!" Hikaru yelled.

Kirro walked up to Kyouya, "Don't look so lost. You won!" she smiled.

"Yes, but..." he looked back at her. "...I didn't expect this..."

"Expect what?"

"Nothing." he sighed.

Kirro raised an eyebrow, he didn't have to say it but, she knew, 'Tamaki is a good friend...'


	21. Chapter 21

A.N. - Sorry for my way too long absence.

**Chapter Twenty-One: Tanukis and France.**

'Kilts are so funny.' Kirro thought.

All of the Hosts, with the exception of Tamaki, who wore a loincloth, were in traditional Scottish regalia. Which meant kilts and bagpipes all around. The guests didn't seem to mind it, though. In fact, they really liked it. Which meant squeals and blushes all around. The Twins made fun of Tamaki for his loincloth, they said it was the outfit for a sumo wrestler.

"This isn't a sumo mawashi, it's an ordinary loincloth!" King stood from his sulking. His guests took pictures. "Kyouya! You picked today's cosplay! How is it I ended up with a loincloth when you all have flashy costumes? So obviously uncomfortable!"

"So, you actually have little self confidence in your body?" Kyouya redirected the conversation.

"What?"

"Didn't you say in the relay race that if you lost to Kyou-chan you'd wear one?" Hani questioned.

"What's this? Going back on a man-to-man promise?" the Twins whispered to themselves.

Tamaki was embarrassed. He hid behind the curtains when Haruhi tried to get his attention. She gave him a power ball to shut him up. He flung it all about the Club Room.

"That's okay. At least he's acting like an idiot like normal." the Twins shrugged. "For the time being it seems he hasn't noticed our uneasiness."

"I hope he hasn't." Kirro sighed.

"I was surprised when they said the second-years were going to France~!"

"I wonder what Tono's reaction was?"

"He has been calm." Kyouya explained. "He has been aware of it for a while, since the destination is chosen by vote. However that is the land where he was raised. He must be supposing that his missing mother is out there somewhere..."

"But, Tamaki-senpai's grandmother has forbidden him from seeing his mother." Haruhi frowned. "I wonder how Tamaki-senpai feels right now..."

"Anyway, we have two weeks until the second-years leave, we must keep Tono unaware of our unease!" the Twins nodded. "We have to act 'normal'."

"Yeah~! Be normal~!"

"Normal meaning: tease, ridicule, annoy, play around with." Kirro clarified.

"Exactly! We must keep Tono from thinking about France no matter what happens!"

"Guys, look at how bouncy it is!" Tamaki yelled.

The Twins ran up to him, arms outstretched.

"Hika-chan! Kao-chan! Act 'normal'!" Hani yelled.

"Okay! You're so sly, Tono! Give us that ball!"

"Don't! Haruhi gave me that powerball!" King tried to keep the ball away from them.

"It's okay! Give it here!" the Twins clamored. They knock the ball right out of his hand, right into the open window behind them.

'Oops.'

"The powerball Haruhi gave me!" Tamaki yelled, trying to catch it.

Everyone crowded around the window to watch it bounce right into a bush, and then it appeared to be thrown back out.

"The powerball came back out of the bush...?"

"Usually bushes don't 'give' things back." the Twins peeked over Haruhi.

An abundance of sweet potatoes spilled out of the bush.

'Sweet potato...bush...what?'

A tanuki, or raccoon, sprinted out of the bush and looked straight up at all of the club members.

"Ah! It's Haruhi!" the Twins announced.

"Huh?" Haruhi glared at them.

"But, it's a raccoon..." Kirro cocked her head at the Twins accusation.

"I would say that was definitely a tanuki." Kyouya stated.

The tanuki skittered off.

"Ah! He ran away..."

"Tanuki-chan brought Tama-chan's ball back and some sweet potatoes~!" Hani laughed.

"Ooo! He's one of Haruhi's friends! I must express my thanks!" Tamaki covered up with a curtain.

"Eh?" Haruhi's mouth twitched.

"That reminds me..." Mori piped up. "...after morning practice... I gave my onigiri to an exhausted tanuki."

Most everyone looked shocked.

'So... the little guy feels indebted to Mori-senpai...' Kirro leaned against the windowsill and looked on after the tanuki.

"Kirro, there's something I'd like to ask you." Kyouya stood next to her.

"What is it Kyouya?"

He shut his book, "It's a favor..."

For the next few days Mori was all over the newspaper for the touching story. The was a nice increase in his customers. And, Tamaki, the Twins and Hani kept trying to get his autograph for being, as Tamaki put it, "the grandfather figure of the story".

And once, as Kirro followed everyone into Music Room Three, "Ah! Now he's broken into the clubroom!" Tamaki gaped at all the broken dishes.

Every inch of the room was trashed, "It looks like a tornado hit..." Kirro said, surveying the damage.

"Overall, it seems the security of the school was breached." Kyouya sighed.

"Maybe this is Tanuki-chan's idea of cleaning~!" Hani looked over a pile of teacups.

"Here there's a mound of vegetables..."

"...and acorns." the Twins rooted through the heap.

"This reminds me of the time Takashi's shirt got dirtied after Kendo Practice~!" Hani held up his index finger, remembering. "Tanuki-chan left little footprints and acorns~!"

"Just like the time when Mori-senpai had to redo his homework..." Haruhi joined in remembering.

"So, basically, he's leaving a signature!" Tamaki smiled.

"We need to lure him with someone he hasn't seen much of..." Hikaru began plotting.

"Someone shy to attract him..." Kaoru joined in his brother's scheming.

"Maybe Haruhi can understand Tanuki-san's feelings? Since they're comrades?"

"I'm sorry but I can't fulfill your expectations, please be quiet," Haruhi shot them down. "But, this morning, when I came to school, I found a large amount of chestnuts under my desk." she held up a plastic bag full of chestnuts.

'Perhaps she and the Tanuki are acquainted...'

"In any case, if he feels he needs to repay a 'debt of gratitude', he could dig up buried treasure, or find a hot spring." Kyouya pressed the buttons on his cell phone.

'I didn't know raccoons could dig up buried treasure...'

"But, on the other hand, he causes problems to the other students. So far you've rejected the option to sell him, but it can't be helped."

"How mean!" Tamaki yelled at him. "Tanuki-san is only repaying his debt to Mori-senpai! It's a modern otogi story!"

"Well then... what do you propose?" he sighed.

"I will..." Mori began. "I will listen to his personal story..."

"But, how will you communicate with the tanuki?"

Mori produced a box, which he opened to reveal Piyo the chick. He began chirping loudly in admiration for Mori.

"Oh? So you'll use Piyo-chan~?"

"He's grown a lot since the last time I saw him."

"If they can become friends, I'm sure they can communicate with each other." he held up the loving chick.

"What's this? Buddha's salvation speech?" Hikaru asked flatly.

"Isn't it impossible for Piyo and Tanuki-san to understand each other?" Kaoru asked just as flatly.

"Takashi is a romanticist~! That's quite unexpected~!"

"No! Mori-senpai is right!" Tamaki took the usual pose. "We will persuade Tanuki-san that we are his friends!"

The Twins deadpanned, "Um... Tono... How are we supposed to persuade animals that we are their friends?"

"If animal friends can understand each other, than why can't human and animal friends!" Tamaki defended. "Besides, just think about it!" his expression became serious. "Why does a wild tanuki stay on Ouran grounds? Why does he repay Mori-senpai's kindness of giving him onigiri? Tanuki-san is probably lonely... Separated from his family... Stranded in an unfamiliar place... That's why Mori-senpai's kindness really makes him happy..."

Kirro's eyes widened when she realized what Tamaki was really talking about. 'He...'

"That is why this is not just a 'simple capture' strategy! We will befriend Tanuki-san by our own means! It's the 'send Tanuki-san back to his native mountain project'!"

It was the third day and there was still no luck with the tanuki. Kirro, Kyouya and Tamaki would look for it after club activities everyday but, they never even saw him. This time they gave up when it started to rain.

"Ah! I'm soaked!" Tamaki whined. "Towel! Towel!"

"Tamaki-senpai! Kyouya-senpai! Kirro-senpai! You're back!" Haruhi handed them towels.

"Haruhi! Thank goodness you found shelter!" Tamaki smiled.

"Yeah! By the way, look..." she pointed to Mori.

He held the tiny tanuki in a towel, "I found him. I lured him with cake."

"No~! When we entered the clubroom, he was eating from the mound of food~!"

"For the time being, until we find his home in the mountains, I will ask if I can keep him at home."

"Ooo! That's a good idea! Good for you Tanuki-san!" Tamaki clapped.

"It seems he a Piyo-chan get along well!" Haruhi watched as Piyo fed Tanuki a mushroom. Mori picked both up and they cuddled up to him. "Somehow it seems like they've started a 'We love Mori-senpai club'."

"Huh? Where are Hika-chan and Kao-chan~?" Hani looked towards the door. "I thought they had returned to the clubroom after the rain had started... I wonder what they're doing?"

"I hope they didn't get caught out in the rain..." Kirro stated.

Hani shrugged it off and tried to feed the raccoon cake.

'At least this kept Tamaki occupied...'

The days until the trip passed quickly and soon Kirro had found herself drawing in the lounge of the airport. Kyouya sat across from her reading over some important papers.

"Kyouya, we've heard Tamaki isn't coming, is that true?" one of the girls asked, worried.

"I regret to say so but, yes, it's true." he looked over the papers. "He has severe diarrhea." he put emphasis on 'Tamaki's condition'.

Kirro nearly broke her pencil, she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing, 'Of course he would say something as embarrassing as that!'

"I bet he exposed and chilled his stomach while he slept."

"Oh no! That's terrible!"

"I'm really worried about him. And it's too bad as well... I was hoping to go shopping with him in Paris..." Kyouya smiled.

"Do you have any plan, Kyouya?" one girl asked. She offered, "If not, please come with us."

"I'd love to but," his glasses gleamed. "...I have a little private matter to attend..."

Kirro smiled then, 'I hope we find her...'

"Do you have a patient that looks like this?" Kirro held up a photocopy of Tamaki's mother to the receptionist at one of the health clinics in Cannes, France.

"I...don't believe so, I'm sorry." she said slowly, looking over the photo carefully.

"No, it's okay." she put the photo away. 'Not this one either.'

"If you'd like though, I could call you if I do see her here." the receptionist tried.

"Oh! Yes! That would be great! Thank you!" she bowed.

It was only the first day but Kirro had already been to six different places. But, she kept looking. This was the favor Kyouya had asked of her. He rarely ever asks for favors.

'He usually finds some way to make me pay off some imaginary debt.' she thought as she hopped into her car. "Next destination, Mr. Ekuseru." she said to her driver.

"You mean you haven't found her yet, Young Miss?"

"No, not yet. But, I'll keep looking." she half-smiled.

Blee-deedell-dee!

Kirro picked up her cellphone, "Hello?"

"Any luck, yet?" Kyouya asked.

"No not yet, I've checked six places and they didn't know anything at all. I'm going to try to stop at as many as I can today though."

"You didn't have to do this."

"I know, but it's rare when you ask me for a favor." she looked out the window.

"Thank you, Kirro." he said flatly.

"You're welcome." she laughed. "Oh, I think this is the next place! Good luck, Kyouya!" she jumped out of the car.

"Good luck."

Click.

She ran up the steps and into the health resort.

She winded up checking seven more places that day all to no avail.

Each and every day the two would split up and search as much as possible in the time allotted to them. Kirro got more passionate with every stop. Though, she suspected that Kyouya was just wearing himself out. She wished he would go to bed earlier but he was determined to find Tamaki's mother.

By the sixth day, when their class was visiting Barbizon- Kirro loved its artistic history but couldn't stay focused- they still had no clue on where she was now. She left the group a little while after Kyouya did and continued her search.

Nothing, as per usual, six stops this time before she had to stop at the hotel for lunch.

'I wish we could find her.' Kirro sighed as she walked up to the front of the hotel.

"Ah! Kirro," Kyouya spotted her. "...could I borrow your phone."

"Sure." she reached into her pocket. "What happened to yours?"

He made a wrenching motion with his hands.

'He broke it...?'

"A text from Tamaki." he said simply.

"Ah." she handed him her phone.

He punched in a number, and waited, "Ah, it's you, Haruhi."

'I wonder how everyone is doing.'

"Sorry for calling you this late. My phone was not working, I just checked my answering machine today."

Kirro cocked her head, 'I wonder what made him break it...'

"...Yes, so what did you want to talk about?" he tapped his foot on the walkway. "...Tamaki has diarrhea." he emphasized.

Kirro took out the notebook were she was keeping the name of all the facilities she was visiting and began crossing out the dead-end leads.

"This guy has stayed at the hotel since we arrived." Kyouya sighed. "He couldn't really participate in the outings. Therefore, he always expects souvenirs..." he sighed and acted aggravated.

'Believable.'

"That's all. I'm so busy now, I have to go."

She could hear Haruhi through the phone, "Wait! Please wait!"

"What?" he huffed. "...Haruhi?...What's wrong?"

Kirro shut her notebook and leaned on the wall next to him, her interest piqued. She could faintly hear Haruhi, "Just now... In front of my house... There is a person who is supposed to have diarrhea..."

"Ah..." Kyouya looked bested only for a second. "Ah, by the way, since he had a stomach ache, I told him to go back to Japan. Now take care of the rest." he hurriedly closed the phone and handed it back to Kirro. He smiled, most likely at some musing about Tamaki.

"Kyouya-sama!" Tachibana ran up to them. "Tamaki-sama's mother!"

"Did you find her?" He stood up straight.

"No..." he sighed. "In this health establishment, there is this person who used to be one of her employees."

He smiled again, "Let's listen to her story. Please, lead us to her." he grabbed Kirro by the wrist. She hurried along.

"Yes!"

They sat on one of the benches outside of a rather beautiful health resort. A small, elderly woman smiled as she talked about working for Tamaki's mother's family.

"About two years ago...?" Kyouya questioned her.

"Yes. Since Rene..." she stopped herself from using Tamaki's actual name. "Master Tamaki left for Japan. As Anne-Sophie-sama wished, we left the mansion at that time. Most of the employees returned to their hometowns." she folded her hands in her lap.

"And then where did the Grantaine family go afterward?"

"I wouldn't know. It was kept a secret... even from us." she looked a little sad but perked up, "By the way, you are Tamaki-sama's friends from Japan, are you not? How is Master Tamaki?"

"He is doing fine, way too much." Kyouya sighed.

"Always so chipper." Kirro smiled.

"Everyday he is full of energy."

The woman laughed, "Is that so...? He may look like it on the surface... but, in the past it was different." she looked fondly on her memories. "Master Tamaki was bright and smart, but on the days when his mother's condition was bad... he would be sad. He wouldn't smile to anyone he talked to. But, on one particular day when his mother was sick in bed, she told him that even though she wasn't feeling good, if he were to have fun, she would be happy. Ever since that day, it was his goal to help every one have fun." she chuckled.

'That's sounds exactly like Tamaki.' Kirro smiled.

Kyouya stood up and shook the woman's hand, "Thank you for telling me this story. We'll tell Tamaki about this meeting."

"You're welcome. Thank you. I know you are Master Tamaki's close friends." she shook Kirro's hand. "A while ago, I told you I didn't know. Even if it's not much, if you listen to what I'm going to tell you... Far from Paris... There is a village near a big forest... In spring, chestnut trees and wisterias are beautiful. In fall, the golden color of corn fields spread."

'She's describing...'

"In the past, a lot of painters who loved nature came to this land."

'...Barbizon.'

Kyouya grabbed Kirro by the wrist and ran at full speed toward the car his bodyguards rented.

"Let's return to Paris right away! In the direction of Barbizon!" he ordered.

The car sped off.

"Yes... but Kyouya-sama, she isn't there." Hotta tried.

"Shut up, Hotta!"

'I don't know why he refused to let me call my driver...' Kirro thought sleepily. The car sat five, Kyouya, herself, and his three bodyguards. It was very late when they finally arrived in Barbizon. They had sat in the car all night and it was now six in the morning. Kirro could hardly ever find a good night's rest in a car. Tachibana was kind enough to wake her up and was currently trying to rouse Kyouya.

"...I'm awake." Kyouya said angrily. He shrugged off his blanket. "Or rather, I didn't sleep. I can't possibly sleep inside this narrow car."

"Well... that's why we should return to the hotel for now." Tachibana tried. "Yesterday, when we drove through Paris, it would have been fine to stop at the hotel and rest for just a little and starting again this morning."

"But, what would have happened if Tamaki's mother came out while we were resting?" he asked.

'Would she of come out during the dead of night?'

"The trip's free period will end this evening. Tomorrow we'll be above the clouds. I can't waste one single moment. And more than anything, if I return to the hotel to sleep, I don't think I'll be able to wake up on time."

'True...'

"But... I am at my limit."

He put on his glasses and they parked the car. Kyouya stumbled out, immediately almost falling, "I'm suffocating, my body hurts and Hotta is noisy..." he whined.

Kirro got out, "Kyouya?"

"Eeh... I'm sorry...!" Hotta apologized.

Tachibana followed, "Kyouya-sama? Where are you going?"

"Anyway, it's too early to go and interview her pretending to ask for directions." Kyouya fell over on the cobblestone sidewalk. "I'll sleep here. Please wake me up when the sun rises a little bit more."

"You can't sleep here, Kyouya-sama! It's the roadside!" Tachibana tried.

"C'mon, Kyouya, you have to get up..." Kirro kneeled next to him. She heard a barking, and, "Antoinette?" She turned, recognizing the name of Tamaki's dog.

"Hachibee?" some dainty voice said.

A dog that looked remarkably like Antoinette licked Kyouya's face.

"Hachibee? Don't walk so fast..." Kirro heard the dainty voice say in french. The owner knelt by Kirro, her blond, curly locks hid her face. "The boy I saw two days ago?"

Kirro looked at her in astonishment, "Miss...?"

Kirro woke to piano music, 'Sounds like Tamaki's playing the piano. Did I doze off during club hours?' She sat up on the comfortable couch and saw the quaint house she was in. It took her a moment to recall the last few days.

'No, that's right, I'm in Tamaki's mother's house.' She found her glasses on the table next to the couch. 'Which means...'

The piano music stopped and a woman spoke in french with a young boy.

"Well, I had planned to go the field for a bit." Anne-Sophie said.

"Don't exhaust yourself. Looks like sometimes your fevers come back." the boy kindly advised.

"I'm okay. Now, let's go together."

'I wonder if Kyouya's still asleep...?' she looked over to the couch across the table from her. 'He looks exhausted.' At that exact moment he sat up violently, startling Kirro.

"Woah, calm down. You scared me." she held her hand over her heart.

He grabbed his glasses from the table and looked around them, "Where are we?" he stood up.

"Take a guess?"

He scanned the room, looking at all the pictures propped up on the fireplace. Kirro had had a chance to examine them earlier before she fell asleep, they were all pictures of Tamaki. In his middle school uniform, talking to the girls, even a few from the recent Sports Festival. Quite a few had members of the Host Club in the background or up close. Kyouya looked surprised.

Anne-Sophie walked in, dirt smudged her cheeks and she carried a basket full of potatoes as Hachibee, a dog closely related to Antionette, "Ara? Are you both awake?" she slowly blinked her violet eyes.

Kyouya deadpanned.

So far as Kirro could tell, Anne-Sophie didn't know who they were, or she did and didn't hint to it.

"Ehh? Hum." Kyouya was confused.

"It doesn't matter what place, but don't you think it's dangerous to sleep by the roadside?" she nonchalantly addressed Kyouya. "It was hard to carry you here even though mother and father and this girl helped." she smiled at Kirro, who had forgotten to introduce herself. Perhaps it was better that way.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you." Kyouya apologized.

Without any notice of his apology Tamaki's mother went on, "Look! I picked up some potatoes from our field!" her smile was exactly like Tamaki's. "You must be hungry. I'll prepare something to eat!" she gestured to the flowers she had set up in vase, "They bloomed in the garden this morning! Aren't they beautiful?"

'So spacey...' Kirro smiled. 'At least she's healthy... I thought she would be a lot worse off.'

One look toward Kyouya told her he was thinking the same thing.

As he tried to get Hachibee to stop licking his leg he asked, "Why are you speaking Japanese?"

"Ara!" she snapped. "You're right! Speaking of Japan, there's a question I was meaning to ask you! Is there a kotatsu in your house?"

Kyouya's look was priceless.

'Oh my god...' Kirro suppressed her laugh.

The next half hour was spent explaining to Anne-Sophie that Japan wasn't exactly what she had been told it was.

"...I see." she looked disheartened at the end of their talk. "So Kyoto isn't Japan's wonderland... And... Goryokaku, Shisa and Namihage aren't in Kyoto..."

"But... Kyoto is a splendid sightseeing and cultural city...!" Kyouya explained trying to cheer her up.

"Yes, it is twice as beautiful as any words can describe...!" Kirro added not wanting to see Anne-Sophie so sad.

"But I have learned something! It's great that I know now!" She quickly recovered. "Would either of you like more soup?"

"No thank you, but it was delicious." Kirro replied.

"No as well. Thanks for the meal. Could I have another serving of tea, though?" Kyouya asked.

"Yes, with pleasure!"

As Anne-Sophie went to fill his tea cup, Kyouya steered the conversation in the direction of her health, "It seems like you're living here happily."

"Eh?"

"Um... no, that's not what I meant..." he hesitated. "You're doing field work even with that frail body."

She smiled, "It's because I came here. I certainly didn't have good health before. A little while ago, I lived in a mansion in the neighborhood of Paris. I was surrounded by the servants. I didn't do the most essential things myself. But, father's company didn't go well... Because of this weak body... I had to separate from the most important person to me. ...Since then I undertook some support... I could of kept living the same way as before but..." her expression fell and she hid her face behind her blond bangs. "A person who sold their son shouldn't be forgiven."

It was Kyouya who spoke up, "Saying this..."

"But!" she cut him off and gave him his tea. "Since I came here my physical condition has gradually improved! I have always yearned for a life surrounded by nature. For the time being, the house keeper has been coming by, but I do what I can by myself. When I'm feeling well, I teach piano to the neighbors. And although it's small, I rented a field. My father, his family, and associates are working toward making over the company. My mother is even helping in their efforts. Only, I can't sleep. My son, even though I can't contact him directly, I know he's getting along cheerfully..."

'It's funny. Tamaki's grandmother forbade contact between mother and son. She would help Anne-Sophie keep in good health if Tamaki went to Japan. But, Anne-Sophie looks like she's getting along very well. Shouldn't something of happened by now? Surely the chairman keeps tabs on this woman, why is Tamaki in the dark?'

Kirro saw Kyouya clench his hand into a fist, most likely angry at the situation. She sighed. He finished his tea and sat up, "It's probably time we take our leave, sorry for all the trouble. The meal was delicious." They walked out. Kirro smiled, "Yes, thank you. For the meal and the story."

"No, you're welcome. Sorry I made you listen to that boring story." the beautiful woman said as she stood on her porch. "When are you returning to Japan?"

"On tomorrow's flight... hm..." Kyouya hesitated once more. "It may be a rude question but... Don't you feel resentful for having to separate from your son? Supposing your companion you hold a grudge on were here. Would you...?"

"No..." she smiled a little. "Because I want to believe in him."

'The Chairman...' Kirro smiled.

"This person...?"

"Yes, but also because... he is the person I chose myself..." her eyes filled with a patient love.

Kyouya chuckled, "Like I thought, both of you are similar..."

She looked confused, "Eh?"

"Our best friend... he is really similar to you..."

They left quietly.

'I can't wait to get home. And I have a feeling Japan's missing its evil king...' she glanced over at Kyouya who was sleeping in the seat across the aisle from her. 'It was really nice of him to orchestrate that sort of thing. Even if he knew it wouldn't benefit him and it would be tiring. I'm glad I could help.' She stood up and headed toward the airplane's bathroom and as she walked by Kyouya she whispered, "Je t'aime, Kyouya." so quietly that the air barely took notice of it.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two: Evaluating the Changes, Will She and Treasure?

"Now gather everyone," Kyouya smiled. "I will hand over presents."

The twins, Hikaru now with dark, black hair, and Hani jumped for joy as the now well rested Shadow King passed out their souvenirs, "Hikaru and Kaoru as you requested I brought you back books and miscellaneous items." The twins accepted them happily and began reading. "For Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai, yakigashi and stuffed dolls." Hani looked at the stuffed monkey in awe as Mori cradled the stuffed chicken with admiration. "For Haruhi..." he produced two small boxes. "...chocolates and accessories. They should suit you."

Kirro chuckled, 'He's getting back at Tamaki.'

"Th...thank you...very much..." Haruhi replied a little uncomfortably.

It worked. The King, who had been sulking in the corner because everyone found out that he didn't go on the field trip, jumped up, "Kyouya-kun, what about me? My two-meters tall eiffel to-..."

Kyouya ignored him, "Hikaru, you have changed your hair color. It looks really good on him." he laughed.

"Hehehe. Really?" the dark haired twin blushed. "I thought you would say that, Kyouya-senpai."

"How mean... a certain person didn't notice it at all." Hikaru and Kaoru said in unison.

"You're lying!" Tamaki accused. "I noticed it from the beginning, you lying twins!"

The Twins looked over their shoulders at him evilly, "Liars? Who are you calling liars?"

'Does everyone in this club have a horrifying evil look?'

"Did you hear that, just now?" the twins whispered. "He has been hiding the fact that he didn't go to the field trip. It looks like a typical case of skipping class."

"It seems like you didn't trust us even though we worried a lot..." Hani frowned.

"Like I said! I have already apologized for that yesterday!" King yelled. His mad expression became happy, "Haruhi, you have forgiven me, right~? You gave me a rice ball, right~?"

Hikaru turned to him, looking angry. Haruhi jumped and, trying to avoid Tamaki, turned to the twins, "Hi...Hikaru, Kaoru, what kind of books did you get?"

"Haruhi?" Hikaru blinked, concerned. "What's wrong did something happen?"

"No, nothing." Haruhi blushed, face full of worry.

"Ah, which reminds me." Kyouya suddenly interrupted. "We met a blond woman in France." He was turned from Tamaki but his words were directed at the sulking boy. "And there was a dog who looked like Antoinette. The dog has siblings in Japan. The woman thinks everyday of her son, whom she was separated from. She is living with this dog and her family."

The room was quiet, until Hani asked, "Was she...beautiful?"

"Yes, very, wasn't she?"

"Mmhmm." Kirro nodded.

Haruhi pushed her way from between the twins, "Was she...was she doing well?"

Kyouya and Kirro smiled, "...Yes..."

"She was really doing well. She was smiling a lot." Kirro added softly.

"She wishes her son in Japan is living happily." Kyouya finished.

From the corner there was a quiet, "...I...see..." You could hear the subtle choke in Tamaki's voice. "She is living with a smile on her face... I see..." he stood up and wiped the tears from his eyes.

Haruhi's eyes filled as well.

"I fear we've missed quite a bit." Kirro whispered.

"Much too much." Kyouya replied. "You should be at my house later. I want you to help me sort this out."

'Now, when I look back on that,' Kirro sighed. 'This was the thing that began the Host Club's end.'

A few words came to Kirro's mind every time she visited the Ootori's residence: 'Modern. Minimalistic... Depressing.' she chuckled. And his family was more wide spread than hers. His sister was the only sibling she had ever met, actually. But there were plenty of maids and butlers and the like which may be a plus or a downside. Though at around this time they most were retiring. These were her distracting thoughts. She should be wondering why she was willing to go to his house when there was nobody but him and herself there. Sure he says he wants to sort out the current condition and future of the Host Club, but Kirro has known this Ootori for quite some time, 'Long enough to now that he has ulterior motives.'

"Kyouya-sama, Ms. Toryo-sama is here." one of the butlers announced as she made her way to one of Kyouya's various rooms.

"Thank you. Hello, Kirro." Kyouya greeted as he reclined in the sofa.

"Kyouya, exactly why am here?" she asked as the butler left.

"I thought I'd told you; to sort out what had happened while we were away." he smirked. "What? Did you have something else in mind?"

"No, but you do." she blinked innocently.

"Not entirely." he admitted. "I am looking to get something done today." he sat up straight. "Tamaki's training under his father to take over his business."

"I knew something like that would happen." Kirro confessed. "It's not bad in itself. Did you realize it in Barbizon as well?"

"Yes, his mother seemed much healthier than I expected."

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking of doing a separate investigation." he shrugged. "But, that's a different story. I want to know what you think of the club's security."

"I wish I could say I had no clue. But, I've got a bad feeling." she sighed. "Haruhi has quite the spell on her."

"Hikaru, Kaoru, Tamaki..."

"Exactly. And now it's taken a turn for the worst."

"That idiot must have done something compromising."

"Kaoru seems to have given up. But, Hikaru seems to have finally realized it."

"What will happen..."

"...if Haruhi realizes she's fallen in love with Tamaki?"

"Yes..." Kyouya sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I doubt the twins would just quit the club." Kirro added. "They would be more likely to fight for it."

"I'm not worrying about that." he hesitated. "I'm starting to wonder if the club is winding down."

It was an odd statement that hung about the air. It may be a small thing but it was an alarming notion to the both of them. Kyouya had grown attached to the Host Club just as Kirro had. Nothing would be the same if they were to lose it. Kirro had always hated changes like these. But, both of them knew that nothing lasted.

"I don't want that to happen." Kirro said quietly, cocking her eyebrow.

"None of us want it to happen." Kyouya sighed again. "There may be a way to prevent it, though."

"There better be." she said determinedly.

It seemed out of the blue, but he chuckled, "What's wrong? Afraid that if the club is disbanded, you won't get to see me as much?"

"Don't be so arrogant." she warned him. "I already see you too much, you've become a hazard to my health." she mocked and giggled.

"How so?" he got up from the black couch. An intense look in his eye.

"You know exactly how." she shrank away from him, chuckling. "Every time we're alone, we play games." she got up from her chair and began wandering about the room. "I'll try to get away and you'll try to catch me." he followed her, true to form. "See?"

"I see." he smirked. "Then what happens?"

"You'll catch me, corner me..." she trailed off.

She leaned against the wall and he stood before her and placed his arms on either side of her, "Like this?"

"Yes, exactly like that." she faltered as she realized what she was doing.

"I'm intrigued. What happens next, Kirro?" he grinned.

She kissed him, and when she pulled away said, "You think I would let you catch me that easily?" and ducked under his arm.

"Yes." he tried. "You never object to me when I do catch you."

She glared at him, "Are you so sure of that?"

"I am. You may not admit it, but I know you like what I do."

She blushed but had nothing to say to his remark, so she just backed away.

"Kirro." he warned playfully. "Come here, won't you?" he slowly made his way towards her.

"No." she stood behind the chair. Inching in the opposite direction. She chuckled, feeling like a child playing tag.

His eyes narrowed and he started picking up speed, trying to get to her. But, the room was large and Kirro was always just out of his reach while she was behind something.

"Why do you always chase me, Kyouya?" she asked as she backed up.

"Because you always taunt me." he said simply, reaching for her as she got away.

"How am I taunting you?" she teased.

"You're teasing me." he smiled.

"Hm, I guess I am." she laughed.

"Come here, Kirro."

"Why?"

"Because I want you to come here." he raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" she tried to back away from him.

He rounded the corner of the couch and grabbed her arm before she could get away.

"Caught you."

She blushed, "But, I was having fun." she half-whined.

"Do you even care for my response to that?" he laughed and kissed her neck. He pushed her back onto the couch.

"Always with the ulterior motives."

"What was that?" he smirked.

She kissed his neck, this time, "Nothing."

"Good."

Kirro sat in the corner of the club room, sketching out a plan for a painting that she had been commissioned to do. The theme for today was Turkey. And all of the guests had missed their second-year hosts. Though, Tamaki had never actually left, they didn't know that, though. Still, it was refreshing to be back when everything was semi-normal. Today her ears were specifically tuned to Haruhi, who thought that she had a cold, when really she was lovesick. She was so intent on listening to Haruhi, she didn't jump when Nekozawa crept in, in his usual abrupt way, to predict futures.

"At the hospital... they said it was nothing." Haruhi explained to one of her guests. "Whatever I do, I can't eat. I wonder if these Turkish sweets can be preserved for a long time..."

The girls squealed at his cute and sad expression.

"Haruhi! How is your health?" Tamaki ran over to her. "You still haven't recovered from your cold?" he placed his forehead to hers, checking her temperature. "You don't seem to have a fever."

Her face became bright red and she pulled back.

Tamaki started freaking out, "Your temperature has suddenly risen? We should call an ambulance!"

'Their so oblivious.'

"I'm okay!" Haruhi yelled back nervously. "Ah! I have to bring a second helping of tea!"

Tamaki then started chasing her around the room, trying to convince her to go to the hospital.

Kirro heard Hani, who was always good at knowing what was going on, say, "What do you think, Takashi~?"

"..."

"That's right... like I thought, Haru-chan has been acting weird ever since then... I don't know what happened between her and Tama-chan but... it may be 'that'."

"It is 'that'," Kyouya added. "If you want proof, look." he gestured to the Twins, Hikaru looked furious, a dark, hateful aura materialized about him. "Hikaru is in a terrible mood."

Kaoru punched the button on a stopwatch, "Hikaru. Hold on."

Kirro joined the group, watching the Twins, "What are they doing?" she whispered.

"You'll see." Kyouya pushed up his glasses.

One minute passed.

Two minutes passed.

"Okay! Three minutes!" the two yelled. They charged after Tamaki.

After chasing them around for a while, they gave up, and Kaoru put 100 yen in a raccoon bank.

"What is this~? A bank~?"

"I had this idea to fix Hikaru's short temper!" Kaoru beamed. "I have also decided on this name! 'If angry Hikaru can hold it in for three minutes, put 100 yen in the bank!' If we can save 100,000 yen, we can invite Haruhi over for ootoro!"

"Can he do that 1,000 times?" Kirro speculated.

"Isn't 100 yen each time too cheap?" Kyouya added.

"How naive, Kyouya-senpai!" Kaoru pointed out. "For Hikaru to Haruhi turn around, it's no good if he doesn't do at least this much!" Hikaru looked shocked. "Because, at any rate, if Hikaru would confess now, he would definitely be rejected!" Hikaru was holding his heart, shielding it from his brother's stabbing words. "He may be more grown up than I thought, but he's a brat when it comes to socializing!"

"Kaoru! No matter how you look at it, you're saying too much!" Hikaru exploded.

"Since you got angry, I'll add a book to read to your assignment." Kaoru produced a little orange book.

Hikaru began reading immediately.

"You really are hard on him, Kao-chan."

"Kinda. It is the whip of love." he sighed. "More than that, the problem is Haruhi's attitude towards Tono. She's obviously conscious of him."

"Yes she is~."

"Conscious but oblivious." Kirro mused.

"She said she had a 'cold'. Haruhi is unaware of it herself." Kyouya put a finger on his chin. "However slow she is, Haruhi isn't as stupid as Tamaki. There is a possibility that something will make her aware of it."

Nekozawa stood in front of Haruhi, "Fujioka-kun~. Something is troubling you, right~?"

"Huh?"

"I did some fortune telling with the Turkish coffee and I saw a heart shape as a result."

'Well, it might as well be Nekozawa-senpai.'

"You have, without a doubt, a love probl-"

Kaoru turned on a flashlight and angled it at Umehito.

"Gyahhhh! Too bright!" he ran away.

"Kaoru?"

"Phew, that was close..."

"Kao-chan?"

"...You know... I am Hikaru's ally... but, I won't ignore Haruhi's will...so, if Haruhi loves Tono...and she becomes conscious of it, then I have no right to stop it."

"Kao-chan..." Hani frowned.

"But!" Kaoru raised his fist and yelled, "That's why it isn't necessary for an outsider to give her hints on purpose! That is certainly what I think!" his fiery spirit set him aflame. "Especially you two!" he pointed to Kyouya and Kirro. "Kyouya-senpai and Kirro-senpai! Just because you're on Tono's side doesn't mean you can give her unnecessary hints! Such as it is, I have no choice but to trust you to allow things to develop naturally!"

"I wasn't going to interfere." Kirro scoffed.

"I think the one who disrupted the development earlier, was you." Kyouya pointed out. "Well, do whatever you want. There is a more important investigation I have to take care of. So, I am too busy anyway."

'Hm... I wonder if that's the separate investigation?'

The next day Kirro rounded the corner in the hallway to see Haruhi running from King, again, as he was trying to convince her to go to the hospital, again. Tamaki started crying and asked if it would be better to take her to the hospital in a bear suit.

'Why would it...?'

They checked in with the school nurse when they heard that that was where Haruhi went.

"Is Haruhi okay?" Tamaki, still in the suit, asked.

'There's no one but the nurse here...'

"Eh?"

"Fujioka-san left early." the nurse looked up from her clipboard. "With a weird face she ran away saying, 'As I thought, I'm leaving early!'"

"Eeeh?"

'Perhaps she's realized it...'

Tamaki had become overwhelmed with worry for Haruhi and went out to look for her. While Kirro and Kyouya made their way to classes, Kyouya said, "The Twins can try to prevent it all they want... but, it won't do much difference."

Kirro smiled, "You're right."

And by the next day, Haruhi was feeling much better, for she had obviously realized...

'I can't believe it's already December...' Kirro thought as she helped the Twins into their costumes.

"Are you kidding me? Is this really my costume? The customers won't be able to see my face!" Hikaru complained.

"We really can't see a thing with that, Hikaru."

"Is this a fake beard~~? How do I put this on me~~?"

"I help you put this on, Hani-senpai. Mori-senpai, please put on this headband." Haruhi assisted.

"Okay."

"Tamaki! What are you doing? The others too, hurry up." Kyouya ordered. "It's almost time to welcome the customers..."

"Good afternoon, everyone~!" the customers came in.

"We're still not ready~..."

'Momotaro the Peach Boy, Hanasaka Jiisan and Urashima Taro. Such odd choices.' Kirro sighed.

Mori was dressed as Momotaro, who was born to a kind old couple from a peach and went off to successfully kill ogres along with a dog, Hikaru, a monkey, Haruhi, and a pheasant, Kaoru. Hani was dressed as an old man who, with the help of his beloved dog, had made withered trees bloom. And, Kyouya was dressed as Urashima Taro who saved a turtle, Tamaki, from a group of mean children and was rewarded with a trip to the dragon god's temple, when he returned 300 years had passed.

The guests had some fun figuring it out, and Mori was the perfect person to play as Momotaro. The costumes may have been different but the Hosts acted normally. The Twins were rather frustrated and Tamaki was sulking because this wasn't his idea and at having to be the turtle. Which was normal for them.

"Kyouya! What is the meaning of this?" Tamaki stood up, yelling, "Today's theme was supposed to be Russia! When did it change? Why did it change? Besides, why am I a turtle? I should have been Momotaro!"

Kyouya answered him with a lie, "Because no one can handle such a difficult role. I mean, properly entertaining your customers without using your beautiful features."

"They are currently laughing at me!" Tamaki waved his fins.

"Shut up, Tono!" Hikaru yelled from within the monkey suit. "At least people can see your face! You're better off than me! I am a monkey! A monkey!" he emphasized. "Both of us are in a costume but Kaoru is a gorgeous pheasant!" he pointed to his feathery brother. "It is so unfair!"

Kaoru said dully, "It is the difference in the charm we ooze, Hikaru."

"Calm down, animals." Kyouya nonchalantly brushed off their complaints. "In fact, I received an unusual proposal of a project a few days ago. I decided to adopt the plan in a trial way, to reward the enthusiasm of the proposer." he smiled. "Besides, things out of the ordinary are interesting, right? Especially if they don't cost much."

Tamaki retorted, "Even if it is out of the ordinary and the proposer is motivated, there isn't any point if we can't use our good looks!"

Hikaru followed up with, "He is right! He's right! Who planned such an unsophisticated project?"

The room was quiet and Haruhi removed her dog mask, her expression was horribly sad.

Kirro stood between King and Hikaru and whispered, "Uh-oh, look at that face, you better apologize."

"Ha-Haruhi?" the two looked devastated.

"I... I am sorry." she put her paw to her mouth. "I kinda wanted to participate in the planning of the activities for once... Momotaro is just like Mori-senpai... Since Mori-senpai talks to animals." she looked up at Tamaki with her usual unknowingly cute look. "Does...does it bother you...to play the turtle's role...?"

Tamaki's face went red and he quickly shouted, "It...it doesn't bother me! Your decision doesn't bother me at all!" but, Haruhi wasn't paying attention.

She had turned to Hikaru, "I also apologize to you, since you have a problem with your role." she glanced down at the floor. "The monkey is always enjoying himself in a lively way. So I thought that you would be perfect for the role, Hikaru."

Hikaru's face went red this time, "It... It's perfectly fine with me! You're right! And, the monkey is very clever! Besides, if I think about it, it doesn't matter whether we are the dog, pheasant or monkey: we are the same! Momotaro's team!"

Kaoru added, "That's right! Let's host the customers. The three of us!"

"Well, I..."

"Haru-chan~! Haru-chan~!" Hani came along. "Haru-chan is Hanasaka gramps' dog, Pochi, right~?" he grabbed her paw and pulled her over to his table.

The twins fumed.

'Ah, an ambiguous role.'

"What happened to Haruhi?" Kaoru questioned. "She has been way more active after being stuck in bed because of her cold!"

"It is a good thing to be enthusiastic, but her bad sense is to be expected." his brother added.

Kyouya interjected, "Hey. It was the least bad out of those she proposed."

"Oh yeah, the takoyaki cosplay." Kirro smirked.

"And, the sushi cosplay."

The turtle curled up, still red in the face, mumbling, "What should I do? She is so cute! No, she was already cute in the first place! By the way, what is the meaning of the delirious talk she had because of the fever that one time!"

'He should be more quiet when he's talking like that around the Twins.'

The Twins kicked him around, "Hey turtle, don't get lost in your thoughts and get to work! You putting your huge body or rather your shell here is a bother!"

"W-what? Stop it!"

Kyouya stopped them, "Hey, stop it kids! Don't bully the turtle."

'Acting out his role?'

Tamaki beamed, childlike, "Kyouya! You saved me!"

Kyouya smiled, "My rescuing fees are a treasure of gold of silver. Can you pay it to me in advance if possible?"

Tamaki commenced sulking.

'Did he really think Kyouya would do something nice for free?'

"Speaking of folktales, there are a lot of them where the main character is rewarded with treasure in the end~!"

"Haruhi, let's dig for something!" the Twins tried. "You are supposed to be the dog that digs for treasures!"

"It is excessive. If I had that sense of smell, I would of found my own way to Ouran with my own money long ago."

Somebody ran through the door, "Fujioka! Do you have a minute?"

"Casanova-kun?"

'Long time no see.'

"Oh! Bossanova-chi, what's up?"

"In fact, I think it would be best to leave it to the Host Club," he stammered a bit. "The rest of the Gardening Club and I were digging up the back yard to make a new flower bed and..." he withdrew something from his pocket. "We found this!"

'Is that...'

"A treasure map?"

Everyone looked at Haruhi, "Ah, that's right..." she geared herself up. "Even... Even if we don't know whether or not the map is authentic, it would also be an experience! Let's try to decipher some of the enigmas right away!"


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three: Hunting, Skiing, and Response.

"First, let's decide how we share the work." Kyouya began looking over the map and the text that came with it. The Host Club, excluding Tamaki and including Kasanoda, stood around one of the tables in the library. "The text and map are both mentioned in this old book. We shouldn't be concerned with what we decipher first. As of now, we don't know if both are necessary. Mori-senpai, Haruhi and myself will work on the text. Hani-senpai and Kirro, please work on the map with Hikaru and Kaoru. Kasanoda, you can work on whichever team you want."

"Then I will be in Fujioka's group."

"Roger~!" Hani laughed.

"What about Tono?" the Twins asked looking around.

"He will attend a meeting at the Rio Grande Hotel." Kyouya informed them.

"Again?" they frowned in unison.

"Yep." Kirro sighed.

"Well, it can't be helped. Perhaps he will be even more absent from now on. You should understand his situation very well."

"...Somewhat..." Kaoru confessed. "Even if we are having fun treasure hunting, if Tono isn't here it isn't really exciting."

"...Yeah." Hikaru sighed.

"Eh? How docile you are." Kaoru laughed. "Did you switch off your angry mode?"

"I'm surprised." Kirro said sarcastically, helping Hani fetch books.

"Thinking about it," Kaoru continued. "...you have become calm around Haruhi."

"Yes~! And even with other people~! Has something happened~?" Hani asked.

"All of you just shut up!" Hikaru huffed. "...Well, soon, we will go on a class skiing trip, so Haruhi will be there. And, I don't understand why... Until now, I was certain that Haruhi was clearly conscious of Tono. But, if that's the case, then why... why did she give him the turtle's role... I wonder why...?"

They all began to laugh.

"So true!" Kaoru had tears in his eyes. "I really don't understand why either! It was definitely harassment!"

"You have to admit though, it was hilarious!" Kirro tried to whisper.

"But, the turtle's role really fits him~!"

"And the Gramps wasn't a midget but she made Hani-senpai play his role! What bad sense!" Hikaru also had tears in his eyes.

There was a loud coughing sound that came from the Vice Principal behind them, a signal for them to be quiet. They immediately shut up.

"Well, anyway, it seems like Haruhi is motivated to try different things, even though I don't know why. And Tono is always busy." Hikaru stated. "...In this situation, I can also do my best to improve myself. That's what I think."

"Hikaru, you're so cool!" Kaoru beamed.

"Hika-chan~!"

"That is rather mature of you." Kirro nodded.

The Vice Principal coughed again and they were quiet.

They all stood around one of the tables looking over the map.

"The map dates back to the end of the Meiji Era. I am sure of it." Mori explained. "Here," he pointed to an empty area. "...it has become the university section of Ouran: the Ouran Vocational Training Schools. I heard that they were built near the North Building, where we currently are. I think the X symbol on this map is near the base of the hill on which Mitsukuni and Yasuchika had a duel before."

"Even if we reduce the search range it is still too wide~!"

"Seems like we will have to analyze the text to find some hints after all." Haruhi added. "I have understood that the part about "30 ken from the susuki." is important but..."

"I... I don't know where all the susuki grew in those times..." Kasanoda stated.

"Besides, some of the spots in this book are blurry." Kyouya pointed to the text. "At this spot, there is an accent on the right side of the 'ki' of 'susuki'. Can you see it?"

"Susugi?" Hikaru asked, pronouncing it. "What is that?"

"Ah! Susugi!" Haruhi had an epiphany.

"That's it! The old word that resulted in the derivation of 'sugi', Hikaru!" Kaoru snapped his fingers. "It's like the first kanji in 'susumi', lengthen it and get 'susugi'!"

"If it's the old word referring to cedar trees, then there are some at the back of the high school section!" Hikaru announced.

"Then, if we start from the cedar trees and we walk 30 ken towards the base of the hill, then we arrive-!"

"Did you find the treasure!"

Haruhi jumped.

Everyone whipped their heads around to see Tamaki.

"Tama-chan~!"

"What about your meeting?"

Tamaki strolled over to Haruhi, who was holding the map, "I couldn't put this out of my mind, so I came over as soon as the meeting was over. Did you make any progress in deciphering the treasure map? Daddy will also do his best to help!"

Haruhi freaked out and shoved the map into his face, "We've come to a sort of hypothesis!"

"Nuuu... I see then!" Tamaki murmured. "At last we can start digging! Follow me!"

Almost everyone pumped their fist.

'News travels fast.' Kirro thought as they looked on at a large group of students that had all volunteered to help dig.

"The moment Tono came back, people started showing up one after the other." Kaoru stated.

"There's so many people, what did he do?" Hikaru frowned.

"But, they are helpful with the physical work! It would have been bothersome to get muscular soreness." Haruhi claimed.

Kirro sighed and picked up a little spade. She probably wasn't going to get much done but, she loved to dig. She had hardly dug up a foot of earth when somebody yelled, "Hey, Suoh! We hit a hard thing in this hole!"

"Ah! Really?" Tamaki smiled. "Mori-senpai, let's go!"

Almost everyone huddled around the spot and, with a little more digging, Tamaki produced a small box.

"Oh! It's a box!"

"Okay, I will open it!"

Everyone waited in suspense while King removed the lid to reveal...

..."It's... empty..."

"...It sure is empty..."

"Are you kidding me? It's empty!"

Everyone started laughing. The air filled with the booming laughter.

'I can't believe it... It had to be a prank...' Kirro wiped the tears from her eyes. She could just barely hear Haruhi say, "As I thought, Tamaki-senpai is just like the turtle in the Urashima Tarou tale. The turtle is always made fun of by everyone. He can't exterminate an ogre, but he leads everyone to the palace of the Dragon King."

Kirro smiled, 'So that's why she made him the turtle...'

She heard a roaring noise kind of like rushing water.

"Haah?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched as a huge geyser of hot water erupted and pooled at their feet.

'A hot spring?' Kirro sighed. 'Today has been so chaotic... At least we found something...'

The very next day the hot spring seemed to disappear, like it wasn't even there in the first place.

'Oh well...' Kirro sighed. 'In a few days winter vacation will be here and I can rest...'

'Or at least, that's what I had hoped...' Kirro put a pillow over her head. 'Maybe I should lock my door... Or sleep in a different room...'

As she plotted, Kyouya was trying to wake her up.

"It's been a while since I've been able to come here." he mused. "We have to head over to Tamaki's house."

She retreated further into the blankets.

"Should I continue to try to persuade you to get up? Or should I just skip the pleasantries and force you to get up?" he chuckled and removed the pillow and most of her blanket.

"Kyouya, get out of my bed."

"What?" he drew in closer. "I can't hear you." he kissed her.

"You're lying." she ducked out from underneath him and sat up. "Get out of my bed." she tried to sound commanding.

"Why should I?" he prompted, smiling intensely and raising an eyebrow.

She thought it over for a second as she decided on what to do next. She smirked when she thought she had a perfect idea.

She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him. She hovered over him this time, it worked, he looked surprised. She laughed, "Because I'm feeling rather aggressive today."

He started laughing, "Really? If you're going to try something like that you have to be serious."

'Aw, my plan backfired.' She sighed and hopped off of the bed.

He followed her, "Who said I was finished talking?" he wrapped his arms around her and placed his head on her shoulder. She blushed bright red. "I can be serious." he ran his tongue up her neck.

She thought fast, "Do you know how much trouble you would be in if I screamed right now?" she chuckled.

"Yes, that's why I know you won't scream, right?" he pushed her back onto the bed. He bent over her to kiss her.

There was no getting out of this, so she accepted his kiss and said, "R-right."

"Nee~! Nee~! Tama-chan~!" Hani whined, his big eyes drooping. "Are we really not allowed to visit Haru-chan and them at the snowy mountain~? You even said I could eat cake at the bath there~..."

'Oh well, I feel bad for Hani-senpai but, I wasn't exactly planning on visiting Haruhi and the doppelgangers while they're on vacation...' Kirro thought sleepily as Antoinette jumped about around them.

"Ahaha. Sorry, Hani-senpai." Tamaki apologized.

'Something about him seems... off today.'

"When I thought about it, it wasn't really the place..." King went on. "My father gave me many assignments to read books... And, anyways, I've been so busy lately I don't even have time to mind Antoinette..."

Hani thought, "I see~ But, why are you holding that book upside down~?"

Tamaki looked shocked and tried to cover up, "Aah! Nonono! This is a new way to read books!"

'Really...?' Kirro cocked an eyebrow.

Kyouya spoke up, "Tamaki... did something happen between you and Haruhi?"

Tamaki flipped his book around, "Not really... Nothing..."

"Then... Hikaru..." Mori guessed.

King seemed to disintegrate.

"Oh, so it's Hikaru..." Kyouya sighed.

"N-no! There's nothing with me and Hikaru!" Tamaki jumped up.

"Were you asked about Haruhi by Hikaru?" Kyouya guessed.

Tamaki curled up in a ball on the floor in a puddle of his own tears.

"I'm guessing that's a yes..." Kirro sighed.

"It seems like that was a bullseye~..."

"Y-You knew all about it!" he stood up. "That Hikaru lik-... lik-..." he couldn't get the word out.

"Likes Haruhi?" Kirro prompted.

"Yes!" Tamaki continued to pout.

"By looking, it's obvious..." Kyouya said impatiently.

"Isn't it just fine with Tama-chan and Haru-chan~?" Hani tried. "And~! How do you feel about it right now Tama-chan~?"

"Th-The fact that I haven't realized it until now... was that awful of me...?"

"What about Haruhi~?"

"Haru-" Tamaki looked stricken. He began rolling around on the floor. "It hurts! My heart hurts!"

"Waaaaa~! Tama-chan~!"

"Go and hug... Hug your heart tightly!"

"I see... So you have finally realized it..." Kyouya sighed again.

Tamaki sat up, "Huh... I wonder if that's what a father feels when his daughter is about to be married to someone..."

Everyone had the same disbelieving look on their face.

"Wha?"

'Oh well, we tried...'

"It's not like it's been decided that Haruhi likes Hikaru back or not... But, Hikaru is a cute guy!" Tamaki was rolling on the floor again.

"Ne-nee~! Tama-chan say-" Hani tried again. "I don't think that's what a father feels-~..."

"It's a disease?" King's eyes grew wide.

"No~! Ummm~..."

"Nngg... Oh no! Should I call for a doctor!" he screeched. "Aah, but first I need to read my book!"

"Tama-cha...~"

"I can't go without getting all the information from what Otou-san gave me!"

"..." There was a collective sigh.

As they were leaving Hani spoke up again, "...Kyou-chan... hey... M-Maybe I misunderstood..."

"...Me too." Kyouya sighed.

"...Maybe Tama-chan..."

"You do realize where we're headed next, Kirro?" Kyouya asked.

"Yeah..." Kirro sighed.

'The ski resort...'

The four headed to the resort where Class 1A was almost immediately after leaving the Suoh's Second Estate. The first thing they did was find Kaoru to explain the situation.

"Wha? An unconscious trauma?" Kaoru voiced the theory. "Because of that? Even though it has already reached this point, Tono is still... Does that mean he doesn't realize it? About Haruhi?"

"Well, to the end it is a selfish interference..." Kyouya continued.

"But, if you think about it like that, then there are a lot of aims..." Hani stated.

"Maybe it's because of the environment that he grew up in, tightly clinging onto his 'family'." Kyouya explained. "He has really grown attached to the harmony in this 'family' in the club. For Tamaki, a 'family' is something that should be protected no matter what... And, on the other hand. For Tamaki, what are the 'things that will break it'? Even if he really is unaware of it, as a parent of the family such a thing can't be forgiven. Tamaki will most definitely never be able to affirm his true feelings for Haruhi."

"I thought there might be more behind Tono's feelings towards the family..." Kaoru confessed. "But, at times, even I thought about not letting the club's relationships fall apart. But, Tono... Tono is just..."

"Yeah~ Tama-chan's just...~"

"He's just too big a baka..." they said in unison.

"Everything we've said we just deduced on our own." Kyouya continued. "But, it's getting to be a bit much, don't you think?" he sighed. "Tamaki's foolishness? He's reached an astronomical level, even if he is just an idiot."

"Tama-chan's thought process is just like a big black box..."

"I wonder what Tono is doing right now? Is he alone crying somewhere?" Kaoru worried.

"You never know, he could be laughing hysterically after hitting his head on the corner of a piece of tofu. If it's him it's possible." Kyouya guessed.

"More likely, he's cataloging weird commoner foods." Kirro chuckled.

"He could be playing piano~! Or doing handstands~!" Hani smiled.

"Or he could be asleep already..." Mori added.

They all wondered what Tamaki was thinking and doing.

'Why am I still here?' Kirro wondered while she was sitting in the snow outside the ski resort. 'I can't even ski.' She fiddled with the camera hung around her neck. 'And, why can't he take his own pictures?' Kirro glared at Kyouya.

"Stop glaring and get ready." Kyouya chuckled. "Hani-senpai is up next."

"Okay~! Well, here I gooo~!" Hani took off on his snowboard while his fans cheered him on. "Usa-chan~! JUUUMPPP~~!" he flew up into the air on his bunny-themed board.

Kirro clicked away on her camera.

When he landed he got off his board and yelled, "Takashi~! You're up~!"

Mori, dressed all in black, was up in the air like an expert. All of his fans were cheering loudly.

Kirro continued clicking away.

"As I expected, Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai are excellent but... even Kyouya-senpai and Kirro-senpai are here?" Haruhi asked. "Since when?"

"Since they showed up last night."

"So umm..." one girl spoke up. "Are you going to go, Kyouya-senpai?"

Kyouya smiled, "Your skill can't be compared to mine but... I came here to take beautiful pictures for the club's website."

Haruhi looked around, "And then, by the way..."

Kyouya knew what she wanted to ask, "He was busy and couldn't come, just in case you're wondering about Tamaki."

Haruhi blushed, "Oh! Okay! Not that it really matters! Oi! Kaoru! Hikaru! The special training is about to start!"

"Hikaru... Are you sure you can do this today?" Kyouya turned. "You seem to be in a bad mood... Your face is 'dark'."

'He looks tired...'

For the next few hours Kirro and Kyouya spent their time relaxing and quietly worrying about King and Hikaru and Haruhi. When suddenly Hani came running up to them, "Kyou-chan! Kir-chan!" he had a worried look on his face.

"What is it Hani-senpai?"

"What's wrong?"

"Hikaru and the chairman of 1A have gone missing!"

Kirro sat up and put on her coat automatically. Kyouya followed.

"Where were they last?" Kirro went with Hani out the door.

"Kao-chan said they went up the rift to ski! But, the chairman couldn't so Hikaru was going to stay up there with him until a team could get them down!"

"Has the team arrived?"

"Yes and Takashi's with them but they only found a set of skiing equipment."

They boarded the rift and traveled up to the part of the mountain that was reserved for skiing. The wind blew harshly and flung snow everywhere. Kirro could hardly see anything.

'How are we going to find them in this mess?'

"Hikaru! Where are you?"

Many others had gathered to help search.

"They couldn't have wandered too far off..."

"Soga! Where are you?"

Kirro was horribly worried, she hoped the two were alright. She felt a hand grab hers and she turned around to see Kyouya, "Stop worrying. We'll find them. It'll be okay." he hugged her.

As if on cue they heard, "Hurry! Over here!"

"I think we've found them!"

Hikaru looked completely worn out and fell unconscious just after Mori found him. And 1A's Class Chairman, Kazukiyo Soga, had twisted his foot. He was apologizing profusely saying that he was the reason they had gotten lost and that Hikaru had pulled him out of a hole so that they could be found even though Hikaru was exhausted.

Kirro sighed in relief as they returned to the lodge. But, she was a bit surprised.

'It'll be alright.' Kyouya's words echoed in her mind. 'That was nice of him...'

They had to let Hikaru rest when they got back to the lodge. Kirro still followed Kyouya, Kaoru, Hani and Mori around as they went to go check on the exhausted twin.

'I didn't expect today to be so tiring. It's probably because I've been worrying so much...'

When they turned the corner they saw Hikaru in the hallway holding his head while his face turned red.

"Eh? Hikaru?"

"Hika-chan~!" Hani rushed up to him. "Is it alright for you to be awake now~?"

"What happened?" asked Kyouya.

Hikaru stood up and smiled, "I-I'm fine. Sorry to have worried all of you."

"Where is Hikaru?" a familiar voice screeched. "Hikaru?"

Everyone turned around to see Tamaki, who had obviously been running to get to them.

"Tono?"

"Tama-chan~!"

Tamaki ran up to Hikaru and started poking and patting him.

"It's alright, it's the real Hikaru." Kyouya sighed.

Tamaki clung to Hikaru, "Thank Go- When I heard you were unconscious I'd..."

Hikaru looked sad and then he said, "That's right. Tono, I confessed to Haruhi."

"What? For real?" Kaoru yelled.

"I haven't gotten her answer yet, but I'll give it my all!" Hikaru continued as Tamaki stood up straight. "So, Tono, don't lose to your trauma either and give it all you got!" Hikaru's expression transformed into that of an angry demon. "You got it? Where's your answer?"

Tamaki freaked out and said, "Iih! Y-Yes!"

'A surprising development...' Kirro sighed.

It was New Year's Eve, and there was a party at the Hitachiin residence.

'I know it's obligatory for the Hosts, but I'm part of the staff, why do I have to go to a party hosted by the doppelgangers...?'

As of right now she was being dragged away from a quiet corner she had staked out for herself by Mei who had been to afraid to walk around by herself.

"M-Mei-chan, there are hundreds of people here who would love to meet you... Why don't you try talking to them?" Kirro tried to get away, frankly this girl scared her.

"Because, I don't know any of them. You're my friend, Kirro, and since Haruhi had to go talk to Hikaru, you're going to accompany me." she ordered.

"Haruhi had to talk to Hikaru? I wonder what she'll say."

"Don't you already know? She doesn't like Hikaru in that way. Is it really a surprise?"

"No, I guess you're right." Kirro stopped resisting and followed Mei to the refreshment's table.

"Mei-chan!" Tamaki caught up with them. "Kirro!"

"Hello, Tamaki." Kirro waved.

"Ta-Tamaki-kun!" Mei turned abruptly.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your meal. Where's Haruhi?" he asked.

"Ah, if it's about Haruhi... she's... ummm... she's..." Mei stuttered.

"Tono!" Hikaru ran up to him.

"Hey!" Tamaki yelled as Hikaru carried him away.

"Come along! Hurry!"

"Wha-What?"

"...I wonder what that was all about?" Kirro questioned.

"Oh well, when I'm finished here, let's go find Haruhi."

"Okay."

When they did find Haruhi she had a look of relief on her face, she had turned Hikaru down. And then everyone everyone made plans to visit the shrine for the first time this year.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Shrines, Kidnapping and Meeting Kanoya Megumi.**

It was time for the first visit to the shrine for the new year. Kirro smiled as she pulled on her kimono that was decorated with goldfish and tightened her obi. She let her hair down today and thought about how odd it was that she hadn't thought up a new year's resolution yet. What had her resolution been last year?

'Make a masterpiece...'

That's right. That was her resolution for the last few years.

'This year I'll do it... I think I finally have the perfect inspiration...' she smiled as she walked out the door.

"Tono, you're late!" the Twins complained.

"Tama-chan you're here~! Happy New Year~!" Hani laughed from atop Mori's shoulders.

Kirro, the Hosts and Mei had been waiting patiently, or rather, impatiently in the case of the Twins and Kyouya by the gate to the shrine in Asakura for King.

"Ah, happy New Year to you..." Haruhi looked up at Tamaki.

"Happy New Year!" his face grew red.

They continued to have their awkward conversation until Hikaru interrupted them, "Yes, yes, yes! You're blocking people from getting past so have this conversation whilst walking!" he nagged.

"So Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai have been taking care of relatives since New Year's Day?" Kyouya caught up.

"Yup~! We've been having competitions with our younger cousins~! It was fun, right, Takashi~?"

"Yeah."

Kirro chuckled and Hani asked her, "What has Kir-chan been doing since New Year's Day~?"

"Oh! Well, I've been painting mostly!" she laughed and proudly flashed her paint-stained hands. "I'm finally going to make my Masterpiece."

He smiled, "Sounds pretty~!"

Kyouya chuckled, "You'll have to show it to me when you're finished with it."

"Ehhh? Why aren't you wearing a kimono, Haruhi?" the Twins wondered.

"Ah, well, it's really difficult to move in..." she sighed. "I figured that out when I wore that yukata to the festival a while back..."

"By the way, Mei, is that bag from the Sports Festival perhaps?" Kaoru asked.

"Ha! It's a nice remake isn't it?"

'I'm kind of surprised that the only one who hasn't talked is Tamaki.

Kyouya slowed down to talk to King, "Tamaki? You know the procedures when visiting a temple, don't you? You'd better not make any mistakes!" he warned.

"O-okay!" Tamaki stuttered. "I can't clap with my hands here, right? Oh! By the way, why is it okay to come here or to a jinja on New Years?" he smiled.

"Who knows... It's a mystery..." Kyouya lied.

"I see! Then I simply must investigate the matter!" he pulled out a memo book with a gold crown on it.

"Why is it okay to come here or to a jinja on New Years?" Kirro asked Kyouya as they approached the shrine. He just sighed in response.

While Haruhi and Mei were turned away Hikaru asked: "Tono? Wanna play a game for old times sake? It's the: Who can make Haruhi happiest at the shops here in the Temple of Asasuka game!"

"Uh... I'd rather not..." King objected.

"What's this? No confidence of winning?" Hikaru tried again. "But, you're daddy and all..."

"But, it was you who said we aren't a family, Hikaru..." Tamaki returned.

"Oh! You're right!" Hikaru smiled. "So how about fake-daddy?"

'That got him...'

Hikaru continued while Tamaki simmered, "Well, I am in love with Haruhi so I don't have any intentions of losing..."

"W-Well, if it's love, then I have plenty of it, too!" King pointed. "In fact 'love' is my middle name!"

"Oh yeah? By the way..." Hikaru continued provoking Tamaki. "...if we're not family, and you're not father, then, what kind of love is it?"

But, Tamaki just looked confused.

"Hey~! That sounds fun~! Can we join the game, too~?" Hani cheered.

"Yeah, since it's been such a long time!" Kaoru added.

"Well, if the game is going ahead... we should lay down some rules..." stated Kyouya. "How about this: the budget is of the common folk: 1,000 yen." he flashed the bill. "The time limit is one hour. When you're done, meet back here. The winner's prize is: the right to decide on the first design of the year for the Host Club and... a bento swap with Haruhi!"

All of the participants, Tamaki, the Twins, Hani and Mori, looked determined to win.

"You're always adding fuel to the fire." Kirro chuckled.

"It's more entertaining that way." Kyouya commented as they followed the participants, excluding Tamaki, who went off by himself, out of the shrine.

"Hey! Where are you guys going? Don't just walk away from us!" Mei yelled, she was then abducted by the Twins to act as their adviser, leaving Haruhi all alone.

"Hey, Mei-chan... Does Haruhi like agemanjuu...?" Kaoru asked.

"Umm... well, she doesn't dislike it..." Mei tried. "Even though yesterday when she said she didn't have any appetite, she still managed to devour two manjuu..."

"Enough said." Kaoru sighed. "I think I'll get something else..."

'Funny, they both go to buy Haruhi food...' Kirro smirked. '...it makes sense...'

"Umm... about that lack of appetite thing..." Hikaru spoke up.

"Hmm... well, I think it could have been about you..." Mei stopped him. "But anyway, I think it's best to leave her be. A maiden in love has a lot to think about. She'll learn to cope sooner or later...But, when I say 'in love' I don't mean with Hikaru! Just to let you know!"

'Ouch... that was a little harsh...'

"I'm sorry you were rejected, though. Here, eat a manjuu to cheer yourself up."

"It doesn't matter..." Hikaru looked as if he had been stabbed. "So... Haruhi told you she rejected me...?"

"Well... I would be able to tell just by looking at her but..." Mei replied. "I actually got the information from Hani-senpai!" she pointed to the senior.

"We passed it on using a network~!" Hani smiled.

"By a network?"

"Well, it was more like a telephone game." Kyouya confessed.

"Oh so by the telephone game then?" Hikaru yelled. "What's this so-called taking a person's broken heart seriously? ...Kaoru?" he growled at his brother.

"Whaaa-at? You know how it is..." Kaoru avoided eye contact. "When someone declares that they confessed, so grandly like that... It'd be unfair if people didn't know the outcome... It's not like I'm getting mad at me, and you didn't even talk to me about it!"

'The network: Kaoru called me and I called Kyouya and Kyouya called Mori-senpai and Mori-senpai called Hani-senpai and Hani-senpai called Mei-chan." Kirro smiled.

"Okay, fine..." Hikaru sighed. "It's not like I'm giving up anyway... The real fight begins when Tono realizes his feelings!"

"You're so bighearted~!" Hani encouraged. "So that's why you were provoking him earlier~!"

"Hikaru is great!" Kaoru cheered.

"Yeah..."

"You could say this heart is as big as the universe!" Hikaru continued. "Y'know! I wouldn't mind if my middle name was 'real man' from now on!"

'Now he's getting a little carried away...'

"So, Hikaru Real Man Hitachiin~!" Hani began. "Will you run a rickshaw for me~?"

"Um, this isn't a matter of physical strength..."

"Hikaru Real Man, can you buy this for me?" Mei asked.

"Buy it yourself!"

After the the Twins and the seniors had decided that what they had bought Haruhi would win, they had decided to make it back to the shrine but then...

"Huh?"

"Haruhi's been kidnapped?"

'What?'

Tamaki was in a horrible state of distress, "That's right!"

"What the hell happened?" Hikaru yelled.

"I don't know, either!" Tamaki retorted.

"Who was the culprit? Did you see her get kidnapped?" Hikaru tried again.

"No, but, she hasn't picked up her phone! That's the evidence!"

Kirro sighed in relief, "Tamaki, she's probably fine, maybe she just doesn't want to pick up her phone..."

"No! The ootoro ring I gave her was dropped on the ground." he held up the small sushi ring.

Everyone had the same hateful expression.

"How annoying. Aren't people meant to live, not suffer so much trouble?" Hikaru threatened to stomp on Tamaki. "Are you really an idiot when it comes down to it?"

"Stupid! I'm hardworking!" Tamaki yelled from beneath the threatening foot. "She's been kidnapped! There's no doubt about it! What should I do?"

"Tamaki, please calm down, it's just your head making crazed ideas... Don't you think you're jumping to conclusions?" Kyouya said, tiredly.

"Yes, maybe the ring just fell out of her pocket or something..." Kirro agreed.

"Compared to this as to why 3 o'clock is a more strict time~..." Hani said, shoveling food into his mouth.

"Calm down, Tamaki..." Mori said simply.

"And besides, who said that this was 'something Haruhi liked'?" Hikaru examined the ring.

"Wah! That's mean!" Kaoru looked shocked.

"Tamaki you're hard to believe..." Mei stated.

"If you think about it normally, isn't it possible that she just threw it away on her way to the bathroom?" Hikaru asked.

"Uh..." Tamaki stopped. "Fine then! I'll search for her by myself!" he yelled. Hikaru, Kaoru! Lend me your phones! I'll use GPS to find her location!"

"If Haruhi is not answering her phone, then there really is no point!" the Twins criticized him.

"Fujioka-san has just been taken away by a car!" an older bespectacled woman yelled.

'What...? Who's she...?'

"Kousaka-san!" Tamaki ran up to her.

"I've written down the number plate of the car!" she said. "I have also already called the police! They should be here soon!"

"Oh...Haruhi...really?" Kaoru stuttered.

"Tamaki, who is this?" Kyouya remained calm.

"My company's lawyer!" Tamaki answered quickly. "Kousaka-san, which way did the car go?"

"They've gone on Route 30." she replied. "I wanted to not wait for the police and go straight after them, but I couldn't chase them. But,,, although I only caught a glimpse of them, I saw one of them. That one, looked like a worker from a company that did business with the Suoh's hospitality and theater sector."

Without saying another word, Tamaki ran off.

"Tono!"

"Please wait! We'll leave this to the police!" Kousaka yelled.

"Kousaka-san..." Kyouya began. "Even though you're the Suoh family lawyer, why are you here?"

"I came to bring in the New Year, Ootori-san." she stated simply.

"By yourself?"

"Yeah, I didn't think that everyone would be here..."

"Really...?"

'Why was she really here...?'

By this time almost everyone had thought up the same plan. As of right now, Hani, Mori and Hikaru were in the taxi that Tamaki had hailed. Hikaru had given his family name to the phone company to allow him to track Haruhi's cell phone and Hani and Mori were going along to punish the bad guys. Kyouya had called his car and Kaoru and Mei were to go with him and his bodyguards to follow Tamaki's taxi. Kirro wanted to go along but, she decided to stay behind, call her car and wait for the police to show up so she could lead them to Haruhi and her captors, so she was on speaker phone with Kaoru. She could hear Mei as she waited in her car: "Wait! Can't this thing go any faster! To the man wearing black glasses and looks like he's in the Mafia! You're driving this car so slowly! What's the point in driving leisurely?" she yelled.

"Mei-chan, you're being unreasonable... We're just following Hikaru at the moment..." Kaoru tried.

"Huh? Unreasonable? We've gone from a happy outing to suddenly having one of our members being kidnapped! Who wouldn't be unreasonable?"

Kirro tried this time: "Mei-chan... Please stop worrying... It'll be alright..."

"How can I stop worrying?" she yelled into the phone. Kirro clenched her teeth to stop her ears from ringing. "Besides, we can't use the money that Ranka-papa made as ransom! Geez! It's once again, because she's connected with Tamaki, Haruhi has-!"

She heard the voice of Aijima, one of Kyouya's bodyguards, "Miss, please be quiet."

It worked, Mei was silent Kaoru said, "Mei-chan... I'm sorry... I'll definitely save Haruhi..."

"It's nothing..." Mei sighed. "You don't need to apologize..."

The police had arrived and Kousaka told them to follow Kirro's car, Kirrro gave directions to her driver to where Kyouya's car was currently.

Kyouya said to Mei, "More importantly, if Haruhi really has been kidnapped... Everyone that rushes to help her, it's their business... It doesn't matter what their ransom is, Tamaki will deal with it... However, if it's something we don't agree to, the Ootori family won't allow it. That's why I brought Aijima as a bodyguard."

Kirro chuckled as her car caught up with Kyouya's.

"I also never thought about getting involved with Haruhi." Kyouya continued. "I thought that chasing her would have been dangerous... That's what I thought. So, this was all of our fault..."

"Kyouya-senpai, what have you found?" Kaoru asked him.

"10 kilometers ahead there is a laundromat that canceled it's business with the Suoh family last month. It's close to the location where Haruhi is, so there's no doubt about it..."

"A laundromat? Did you hear that, Kirro-senpai?"

"Got it."

Kyouya continued, "Yeah... It seems they made contracts with the Suoh's last generation... Although they were small, they were popular because they did good jobs. There was a time when they still did a lot of business with the Suohs' theater and hospitality sector. But, after the Suoh company was handed over to the current president, they started making bigger and harder jobs. The laundromat had no choice but to follow the tides. And, last year, they finally closed."

Kaoru clicked off his phone.

Kirro's car arrived shortly after Kyouya's car had. She quickly got out after the car stopped, and ran through the hole in the wall of the laundromat which apparently Hani had made.

"Is Haruhi-?" she stopped by Kyouya.

"She's fine." he assured her.

She sighed as she saw Tamaki hugging Haruhi.

"That's great...! Haruhi's okay!" Kaoru had tears in his eyes.

Hikaru ran up and flung Tamaki away from Haruhi, "Haruhi, are you okay? You're not hurt anywhere?"

"Y-yeah I'm fine." she replied.

Tamaki looked over at the oldest of the three men that the seniors, and Mei, were watching, "I'm not going to forgive you for this. But... because this was because you lost your jobs, I'll talk to my father about it. I think he'll come up with a solution. But promise me, from now on whatever happens, discuss it with the company. Don't bring other people into it."

The man sighed, "I promise, Suoh-kun." he pointed to the two behind him. "But, there's no need for lawyer's work. When the shop changes heads, I have decided to start from scratch. Like these idiots."

"I'm very sorry for interrupting this touching moment." Kousaka entered. "I know most of the story. Fujioka-san, would you like to take these men to court?"

"There's no need!" Haruhi assured her.

"This was about a serious crime, right?"

"Let's just do what Haruhi says." Tamaki seconded.

"Okay, I'll clear this up with the police." she turned to the older man. "Then, Hayashi-san, if it's okay with you, would you let me introduce you to a lawyer I know? They'll be able to assist you in resetting up your business."

Hani laughed, "It's great that Haru-chan is okay~!"

"You're not hurt anywhere? Do you feel any pain?" Mei made sure.

"Oh, no... ah!" Haruhi looked at her hand. "Kyouya-senpai, could you take me back to Akasuka?"

"Sure, I'll call the car and they'll be right over."

"What's wrong~? Did you forget something~?"

"Sort of, I dropped something."

"I-Is this it?" Tamaki held out the ootoro ring to her.

"Ah! That's great! Thank you!" she put it on.

"Well, a lot has happened during winter break." Kyouya smirked.

"Mm-hmm." Kirro chuckled. "You were right, though, everything turned out alright."

"I'm always right." he said smugly and he kissed her on the forehead before he could sneak away to his car. He chuckled and said, "I'll see you on monday."

Kirro's face heated up and she turned around to see if anyone had seen that. Luckily, no one had.

"Kir-chan, why is your face all red~?" Hani asked.

"Um... maybe I'm just getting a slight fever." she said quickly. 'He always does that.' she sighed, said her goodbyes and called her car, though not before the Twins could say something about her red face and Kyouya's departure.

'3rd semester is starting. This is the first activity of the new year for the Host Club.' Kirro pulled on her coat collar. 'Today it's outdoors. Horse riding...'

"Welcome!" the Hosts greeted in unison in their riding outfits.

"Kyouya-sama! We're so happy to have a club activity after so long~!" One of the girls smiled.

'It has been a while.'

"Thank you for joining us even though it's so cold! Today's project was made possible thanks to the cooperation of the Horse Riding Club!"

"Do all of you have experience in horse riding?"

"All of us... except one... But, the most experienced of us, as you can expect, are those two..." Kyouya gestured to where Mori was jumping a chestnut horse over a fence.

"Hiyo~!" Hani called out. "Pony go~!" The little white pony that Hani rode went along swiftly.

All of the girls clapped, impressed.

Kirro tried sketching out Haruhi feeding a horse a carrot.

'Is this her first time around a horse?'

"Hey, Haruhi, this weekend let's go to the Horse Riding Club together!" the Twins proposed. "We will teach you to manage a horse!"

Haruhi thought about it, "Eh? Um... I'll pass. It's cold."

The Twins looked surprised, "Eh? Is the active Haruhi on winter break?"

"No, I'm still working on it... But, if I put in too much spirit, I'd end up going round and round without accomplishing anything. And, if I think too much, I'll become uncertain." she smiled. "Also, in January, I'm not quite free. From now on, without pushing my limits, I'll dare to try all kinds of new experiences."

"And this is different from the previous laziness?" the Twins deadpanned.

"Yes, completely different." she took on a determined expression. "Because I thought about it a lot! Then, when something is difficult, it's difficult!"

"What happened to Haruhi?" the Twins whined as she walked away.

"She's been like this since the kidnapping...'

"But, well, what about Tama-chan~?" everyone watched Tamaki leading a horse. "What could've happened to Tama-chan~?"

"Well, our guests seem to love it."

The girls all crowded around each other and chatted about how mature Tamaki looked.

"Also, didn't you say he seemed to have realized his feelings for Haruhi, Hikaru?" Kyouya asked.

"Ah..." Hikaru sighed. "It looked like that. When Haruhi was in danger, it seemed that he was on his way to realizing that she was an important person to him."

"It's true... Since the kidnapping accident, Tama-chan has been acting weird~..."

"Come to think of it, today's project was suggested by Tono, right?"

"Yes, he suddenly said, 'I want to see horses.'"

Mori looked as if he had abruptly realized something, "Just the other day, he asked me if I knew a park that had tigers."

Kirro thought about it, 'I see, it's a pun. Because the Japanese name for tiger is tora and the name for horse is uma. The Japanese word for truama is torauma. That's so punny.' her eyebrow raised.

"KYAAAA! Someone? The horse suddenly-!" they turned to a girl, one of the horses had gotten loose and was spooked by a crow, its hooves were about to collide with her.

"It's danger-!"

Tamaki jumped in front of the girl and the horses hooves connected with his shoulder.

He fell over on the ground in a ball and asked the girl if she was okay. Everyone ran up to see if he was okay.

"Tamaki!"

"Tono!"

They were relieved when Tamaki met up with them in the waiting room of the hospital. His left arm was pretty motionless at his side.

"Everyone? Were you waiting for me?"

"Tono!"

"Tama-chan~!"

"It's just a bruise." he laughed.

"Kyaaa. Does it hurt?" Hani had big tears in his eyes.

"As expected. I won't be able to move my left arm for some time."

Haruhi still looked distressed.

"Haruhi, you're the one who brought my clothes from the club room, right? Thank you!"

"Ah... It's nothing..." she said quickly.

"Excuse me." the girl that had almost been hit by the horse stepped up, her long, deep brown hair covered her face. "I'm really sorry. It's my fault you got hurt..."

"It's not your fault... I didn't realize that the fence was open..." Tamaki laughed. "Eh? Have I met you somewhere?"

Kyouya sighed, "You... It's because you were lost in your thoughts all day... She is Miss Kanoya, a transfer student. She joined our class today."

Kirro nodded to prove it.

"Yes..." Tamaki looked embarrassed.

"I come from Kobe." She smiled. "I'm Kanoya Megumi. Pleased to meet you all."

'She looks familiar... kind of like...' Kirro couldn't put her finger on it. The deep brown hair and the big brown eyes, they reminded her of...


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five: An Ideal Haruhi, and Race.**

The next day at lunch, "Suoh-san! This way!" Tamaki turned to see Kanoya. "I saved these seats..."

"Kanoya-hime!" Tamaki looked surprised. "Well, if it's just for the seats... We could do that ourselves!"

"Oh no, it's to apologize for the injury!" She smiled. "Let me do something for you... and also... I'm not sure if it will suit your taste but..." she presented him with a bento of her homemade food as he sat down next to her.

"This is all your doing...?"

"Yes, I really love cooking."

Kyouya sat down across from Tamaki, "By the way, I heard that the Kanoya family has many restaurants in the Kansai Zone."

"Yes. Since a long time ago, I've been taught by my father in the kitchen of the restaurants, and since I loved it..."

"You enrolled in Aoizuka School in Kobe." Kyouya finished for her. "It is a very well known place there. Why did you enroll here at Ouran for your second year and during the middle term?"

"It was my mother's idea. This was her parents' old home as well. Then..."

"Kanoya-san..." Tamaki started. "To thank you for this lunch, how about letting me be your guide around Tokyo?" he smiled. "Are there any places you'd like to visit?"

"If you are my guide, then any place is fine." she had a familiar cute smile.

'Who in the world does she remind me of?' Kirro thought as she turned around.

She could hear Hikaru say, "Does she like him?"

His brother rreplied, "Definitely, she likes him."

"Well, yesterday she was saved. And, he risked his body like that."

"Also, I heard that she has trouble talking to people, but now in their exchange she speaks so casually."

Hani joined their conversation, "Ne, ne~... I was wondering~... Somehow, doesn't Kanoya-san resemble Haruhi~?"

Haruhi nearly dropped her chopsticks.

'Of course! That's who she looks like!' Kirro thought with a smile.

Kanoya really did look a lot like Haruhi, "...Suoh-san." she started. "You look so calm... You definitely give off an adult vibe..."

"Tono! What's up? You don't look well!" the Twins took action, slapping him on both shoulders.

'Ouch...'

King held his injured shoulder, tears falling from his eyes profusely, while the Twins addressed Kanoya, "Princess Kanoya, we're very sorry, but lately this person is often lost in his thoughts... But, usually he's known as the super-annoying prince!" they smiled mischievously.

"Oh? Is that so?"

"And even more, he is a narcissist, and an unlucky, perverted crybaby!"

"Ah!" she had a look of disbelief on her face.

"Even at night he sleeps with a teddy bear!"

"Ah!"

"He likes lunches that have hearts on them, his hobby is to research Japanese culture in the wrong way. He likes correspondence and his collection consists of small packages of commoner's sweets!"

"Ah..."

"Hey, what do you think you're doing...?" Tamaki said angrily as he recovered.

They whispered to him, "Well, looking closer at her, we realized that she resembles Haruhi. And we wanted to check her personality..."

"Haruhi...?" Tamaki looked at Kanoya again.

Kanoya smiled that cute smile that Haruhi also seemed to have, "Suoh-san has so many masks! So tomorrow I'll prepare a heart-shaped teddy bear lunch!"

The Twins deadpanned, "Now, well, Tono... has this kind of let's-have-a-walk-with-you-wearing-a-white-one-piece-while-the-sun-goes-down-near-the-waves-of-the-sea idea."

'That was the daydream from the time we went to the sea.'

"Well, I often wear white one-pieces..." she replied simply.

"With Tono, would you publicly take each others hands in joy and spin around?" Hikaru stuck out his pointer finger.

'That was from the time of the physical exams.'

"If Suoh-san wants it." Kanoya smiled.

"What if he wanted ideal newlywed behavior?" Kaoru stuck out his pointer finger.

'Tamaki's dreamed that Haruhi up more times than anyone's cared to count...'

"There are people who dream of that, right?"

"During free days would you play Daruma-san has fallen? And would you have a tour around commoner supermarkets?"

'Like when we played 'red light green light' and when we went to that exposition?'

"If Suoh-san wants to do that, of course." she laughed lightly. "All these things seem so funny! I don't think twenty-four hours in a day would be enough!"

The Twins, Hani and Kirro all had the same shocked look on their face and the same thought in their head, 'An ideal Haruhi? Tamaki's fantasy is now here. Right in front of our faces!'

Kanoya tended to the still recovering Tamaki and Haruhi went back to eating her meal quietly.

Tamaki only hung around with Kanoya for the next couple days, which had his fans upset. Even the Twins and Hani were fuming about it.

"Tamaki and Haruhi?" Kyouya asked as he walked into the club room.

Kirro sat on one of the windowsills and shrugged, "I haven't seen much of either of them today."

"Haruhi is near the library, and we don't know about Tono." the Twins sulked angrily.

"Why are you three making that pig face?" The Twins and Hani stopped making the face. "If it's because of what's been rumored about Tamaki and Kanoya-san, we can't do anything about it. Even Tamaki can't do anything about it, if we consider that she felt responsible for his wound, and that he obviously wants to thank her."

"We know!" the Twins yelled. "We know! But it's no joke that Tono finally seemed to start being conscious of his trauma and exactly at this same time...!"

"Ne, ne, won't it be that, because she is similar to Haruhi in Tama-chan's mind, his feelings will change, right?" Hani had big tears in his eyes.

"Who knows." Kyouya sighed. "But, then again, I have shocking information. It seems that she got transferred her because her parents are on bad terms... To be precise, her father and her mother's parent's family. The girl's father is planning some new project. And her mother's family is absolutely against it. 'If you plan on continuing the project, we'll make you divorce.'" he quoted. "And the daughter, Megumi, is unable to see him. Don't you think this is similar to Tamaki's situation?" he asked. "It seems that she had to break all contact with her father. Maybe due to someone interfering..."

Everyone looked shocked, "Does Tono know?"

"I don't know... Maybe he knows or she will tell him soon. Well, as she prefers..." Kyouya ran a hand through his hair. "For Tamaki, Miss Kanoya Megumi is the perfect, ideal woman. Moreover, I'd say they can probably relate to one another."

'I wonder what will happen now?'

'If we were to make a pie chart on what the Host Club does, about forty percent of it would be represented as 'stalking and/or spying on people'...' Kirro thought as they all sat behind a bush. "Why am I here?" she added.

"Target found!" Kaoru said in a small voice. "Even today, with this cold weather, they are having a friendly lunch in the cold courtyard!"

On one of the benches sat Tamaki and Kanoya.

"I see a huge basket! Today there's lunch western style?" Hikaru followed up. "And also... is that only for that two of them? Is Princess Kanoya, by any chance, a big eater?"

"I wonder at what time Kanoya-chan wakes up every morning to make that big lunch~?" Hani thought aloud.

"..." Mori was silent.

"Hey..." Haruhi spoke up. "Let's stop peeking on them. I want to hurry up and have lunch in the room. There are so many books I want to read..."

"A voice of reason." Kirro smiled at Haruhi.

"Stupid Haruhi!" Hikaru scolded. "Have a little solidarity! What's happened to the new Haruhi?"

"Why are we out here for this kind of amusement?"

"Amusement?" Hikaru questioned. "It's not amusement that we're spying on them! So we're trying to cover the fact that it's unpleasant by joking about it! You're really pretending that you don't care!"

"B...But, well, I don't ca-..." Haruhi almost finished.

Kaoru announced, "Ah! Princess Kanoya is about to feed Tono some food!"

"It looks like they are at that stage already~!"

Hikaru and Haruhi quickly whipped around to see the pair.

"But, Tono politely refused. Princess Kanoya is crying a little due to the shock." Kaoru continued.

"She is not... Don't lie..." Haruhi was tricked.

'So, she really does care.' Kirro chuckled.

Hikaru sighed, "I heard that yesterday she confessed to Tono."

Haruhi was silent.

"But, isn't it too soon?" Kirro began. "No matter how the circumstances of love at first sight are, she transferred only one week ago..."

"And no matter how guilty she felt for Tono's injury..." Kaoru joined. "...since she's always been attached to Tono, it was impossible for her to make new friends."

"...Tamaki-senpai...what was...his answer?" Haruhi wondered quietly. Her head was poking out of the bushes.

"Haruhi?" Tamaki saw them. "What are you all doing here? If you were so interested in Kanoya's lunch, you should have said so."

"Please help yourself, there is so much." Kanoya offered.

Kirro excused herself quietly and wondered down the hallway.

'This all seems to be playing out oddly. If she confessed to him, I wonder what happened.' she sighed. 'It's not like he would accept something like that when he only knew her for a week. And, he wouldn't give up on Haruhi... even if she wasn't ideal. But, still...'

"Oh, Kirro." Kyouya found her. "Have you seen Tamaki?"

"Oh, yeah." she took his hand and led him back to where the group was.

When he saw King he said, "Tamaki, when you're finished eating, could you come to the clubroom?"

"Kyouya!"

"It's about yesterday's activities. You didn't come..."

"I'm so sorry! I'm coming right now!" Tamaki ran up to them. "So, thank you for the meal, Kanoya-san. It was really good today, too."

"Eh? But you hardly ate anything." she looked surprised. "Well, in that case, I'll come, too."

"Oh no, please, eat calmly with the others!" he smiled. "Sorry, see you later!"

"Ah..." Kanoya tried to say something but they were already walking away.

"She had the face of an abandoned puppy, you know..." Kyouya broke the silence as Tamaki went over the books for yesterday's meeting.

"Eh?"

"Princess Kanoya." he cleared.

"I heard that she confessed to you." Kirro said from her spot on the tabletop.

"She confessed her feelings to you? Are you two dating?" Kyouya asked.

"I refused." Tamaki sighed. "But, then today, too... She was still there with me. I think she is relying on me to run away from what's hurting her... But, I can't do anything for her now. Because, when I looked at her I realized that I too, I'm like her... What Hikaru told me... I thought a lot about it and I think that relates to this as well... You know... I was so happy to have friends... And all I could think about was that I didn't want to break it, and I pushed everyone into my ideal world... To think that when I heard about my trauma I even thought it was cool..." he laughed. "And, I felt ashamed when I realized it... That's why, exactly like me, Kanoya-san is clinging on to me and trying to run away from something. But, I can't do anything for her. And I don't know... I don't know what I can give her." he confessed.

Kyouya and Kirro looked surprised.

'That's the part of Tamaki that Kanoya doesn't know...'

The bell rang.

The very next day after school, a meeting was called for everyone but Tamaki.

"Sorry I'm late!" Haruhi apologized as she ran into the room.

"Haruhi you're late!" the Twins nagged.

"I told you to be punctual." Kyouya added.

"I...I'm sorry, it's just... I've been getting information all day yesterday and today..." she shuffled in. "By the way, is it okay to be here? Tamaki-senpai..."

"Tamaki is with Princess Kanoya at the hospital." Kyouya stopped her. "So, did you think about the project?"

"Yes... for the most part..." she handed him a bundle of papers. "But I'm not sure it will be okay..."

As he read them, everyone looked over his shoulder.

"Um..."

"Isn't it surprisingly good?" Hikaru asked.

"Yes, somehow it's the most plausible one." Kaoru agreed.

"It looks like it could work well..." Kirro interjected.

"And it seems the budget is low." Kyouya added. "As expected from a commoner plan."

"I approve." Mori said simply.

"Haru-chan's idea is approved~!" Hani laughed.

"So, everyone agrees?" Kyouya smirked. "We're replacing our stupid club president, who isn't able to do it, and for this time, we'll perform it by ourselves! Our target, like we talked about yesterday on the phone, is Miss Kanoya Megumi. Let's prepare everything in detail! This is all, what's your answer?"

Everyone responded with a smile, "Yes!"

'An orienteering race. Haruhi had a very good idea.' Kirro thought as she helped put everything together.

Competitors in teams of two would make there way through six checkpoints, which were scattered all around the building, until they finished the race first, or best. At each checkpoint, you would have to complete a task to clear it, the task was administrated by one of the Hosts, and also by Umehito and Kirro and excluding Tamaki who was to participate, and when you finished the task, if you finished the task, you would move on to another checkpoint until you completed them all. When you completed them all, you had to put together a curry with the ingredients you won at each checkpoint. Whoever completed the race the fastest and with the best curry won. The winner's prize was: one of the Hosts would do what you wanted for an entire day, so a lot of people were participating.

As of right now, Kirro and Kyouya were waiting at Checkpoint Five in the library with quite a few tricky crossword puzzles. The Twins were at Checkpoint One with their favorite pastime the: 'Which one is Hikaru game', Hikaru had dyed his hair back temporarily of course. Umehito Nekozawa was waiting at Checkpoint Two with a quiz on black magic items. Hani was waiting at Checkpoint Three with a game of 'Bottling the Bunnies' which was similar to 'Whack-a-Mole'. At Checkpoint Four one had to play 'Kuma-chan Crisis Shot (Kendo Version)' which was similar to 'Pop-up Pirate Barrel'. And then there was Haruhi at Checkpoint Six, where participants would play a game of truth.

"And so, the Ouran High School Host Club's Curry Orienteering Competition is starting... right now!" Haruhi announced. All the teams took off in different directions, it didn't matter what order you went in.

Kyouya got a call, "Hello, Kyouya-senpai? Tamaki-senpai started just now." Haruhi told him. "Now I'm going to the point I'm in charge of."

"Yes, then." he smirked and hung up. "The first competitors should be here any moment."

Kirro chuckled, "How many people do you think we'll stump?"

One of there first contestants was Kuze, who was in a team with Kanan, who was bragging about winning, and making Kyouya join the Football Club, until he saw the crossword puzzle. Though, all of their challengers were free to use the books in the library.

The second call came from Hani, "Hello Kyou-chan~! How is it going there~?"

"We have two teams already. And you, Hani-senpai? Well, anyway, I'm providing a very difficult crossword puzzle game here, it seems everyone is having a hard time with it." he said with an evil aura.

"I brought the history books!" one contestant yelled.

"What's the 'eye underneath a fruit'?" Kuze asked.

"Oh, it's right in front of you." Kanan laughed.

"Kyou'chan's game is extremely evil... Ne, our strategy will be fine, right~?"

"Regarding Princess Kanoya, we have to leave that to Tamaki."

"Okay, it be nice if Tama-chan could also cheer up~! Takashi and I are only going to be here until March... We don't want it to end like this..."

"Hani-senpai..." Kyouya looked surprised. "Is it possible that they are really going to make you graduate?"

"Of course! What do you mean?"

'Really, what kind of question was that?' Kirro raised an eyebrow, which earned Kyouya's glare.

"Oh, no, there is no deep meaning."

"Tama-chan... What might be the biggest problem that he is holding in his heart... I wonder what we could do to cheer him up..."

There were pounding footsteps from behind them, "Kyouya-senpai! Kirro-senpai!"

"Haruhi? Why are you not at the place where you're supposed to wait?" Kyouya asked.

She took a deep breath, as she had been running around a lot, "I asked Casanova-kun to wait in my place for now. But, we have a problem! It seems that we can't use the kitchen on the first floor as our goal! The teacher had forgotten that they were making repairs today! Tell all of your participants to use the 3rd kitchen in the East Wing."

"Of course." Kirro nodded.

It was a while before Tamaki and his partner, Kanoya, made it to Checkpoint Five, having passed all of the other checkpoints easily except for Mori's.

"You are late." Kyouya criticized as the two walked into the library. "Is your choosing of ingredients going well? It... sure seems a weird mixture... I've heard of curries with fruits and curries with fish but, never curries with both... These are going to be trouble even for Kanoya-san, if it's too hard you can retire."

"Well, those were not exactly my choi..." Kanoya began. "Ah, no. It's fine if they are used carefully. And, if we add more spices..."

"Is that so...?" he gestured to the tables. "So please, play my crossword game. And, by the way, the first group that arrived, the Football Team, is still at that point." he pointed to where Kuze sat still trying to figure out one of the problems.

"What kind of question is this? A yankee question?"

"Well, there are plenty of books here about America, so, we figured my questions weren't unfair." Kirro smiled.

"You... how hard is this task?" Tamaki stuttered.

"She said something interesting, right?" Kyouya gestured to Kanoya, who was not going to waste any time on the crossword puzzle.

"Yeah, but, I didn't actually realize it until I was doing this. This project was done to have her take out her true feelings." Tamaki said.

"That's right. We assumed you would choose very improbable ingredients and that it would make Kanoya-san come out from her state of numbness. Thank you for doing what we thought you would." Kyouya commented.

"...That's great..."

"Kanoya-san's father's specialization is Japanese cuisine. And it seems that his best specialty is indeed curry. When we heard this, we thought that this project could actually work. And then Haruhi said that if it was you, along the way you would have understood what the purpose of this project and helped."

"Tamaki-san, this task is really hard if we don't consult the books." Kanoya stated.

"Eh? Really?"

"If we do some research, we might be able to understand more, however. There are things from cultures of every country around the world. We need a knowledge of brand names of tableware, flowers and furniture. For example: What's the name of the ceramic type established in 1735 in Tuscany?"

Tamaki easily said, "It's Ginore. We use it in the clubroom."

'Exactly.'

"In Okinawa's bingata method, to get the color yellow, what is the name of the natural dyestuff?"

"It's Fukugi."

"The playing field of Kemari's game?"

"It's Kakari."

"Turkish type of traditional clothing?"

"Shalwar." Tamaki easily wrote down all the answers. "But, these questions..."

"You're not playing fair, Ootori Kyouya!" Kuze accused. "These are all the things that were used in previous Host Club events! It's too easy for Suoh!"

"Oh and is that bad?" Kyouya sighed. "The point of our Host Club events: they are fun and simple for our guests. This is our motto. Now we are providing something for our regular guests, something they can have fun doing."

Renge and two other regular guests were working on a puzzle and reminiscing.

"Gah!" Kuze scoffed.

"This is today's hidden theme." Kyouya looked toward Tamaki. "For most of us, it was barely two years but already, we are feeling the history of the Host Club."

"Kyouya..." Tamaki held up his puzzle.

"Did you already solve it? That's impressive. So now, what kinds of ingredients do you want to bring with you?"

"Tomatoes, cumin and chili powder!" Kanoya spoke up.

"Kanoya-san..."

"I shouldn't be telling you this because ,I too, can't decide by myself but listening to your talk before... even if I don't have a lot of confidence. No matter what I do, there are feelings I don't want to give up on." she blushed. "So please give me tomatoes, cumin and chili powder. I need those..."

Kyouya smiled and pushed a shocked Tamaki, "Come on, go, now you're at the last part. Haruhi is waiting for you."

They hurried off to Checkpoint Six.

Kirro sighed, "I wish we could hear what happens next."

Kyouya chuckled and said, "Did you forget about the phones?" He flipped his open and dialed the number of the phone that he had left waiting at Checkpoint Six. "Listen."

Kirro put her ear next to the phone and they both listened while Kuze still tried to complete the puzzle. After a while they heard Haruhi say, "Welcome to the last part! This is the mouth of truth! I will ask you four things, if you lie about any of them, the mouth will swallow your hand and you won't be able to continue! Now please, team representative Kanoya-san come forward!"

Kanoya said, "Yes."

"Is your name Kanoya Megumi-san?"

"Yes."

"Is your hobby cooking?"

"Yes."

"Before Ouran, did you attend Aoizuka Academy in Kobe?"

"Yes."

"Don't you feel sad or regret that you had to part from your father?"

"Haruhi! That quest-!" Tamaki yelled.

"I...don't." there was a crashing sound. "Kyaaaaahhhh!"

"Kanoya-san!"

"My hand is being pulled inside! Something warm is keeping it!"

"Haruhi! Stop it now!" Tamaki tried.

"No."

"Haruhi!"

"No!" Haruhi yelled back. "Because you too are lying! Didn't you tell me that you would start talking to us? And yet you're keeping something painful to yourself. You're still thinking that you should stay quiet, because, if you don't, you'll cause problems for us. And if you expressed your real feelings, you're afraid we would leave you? Then we would have done it already. We know your good sides and your bad sides by now. Hikaru and Kaoru know you've been able to tell them apart for a while. Hani-senpai knew you wouldn't be affected if he tried to get his way by crying. Mori-senpai, with his strength, knew that, even if you flinched, you would never refuse a match. And then, even though I probably don't understand the half of it, you were able to easily solve the crossword because of all the memories you created with everyone. You're selfish! A crybaby and you abruptly keep twisting all of us around! We know all this! Why can't you understand it... Even if we do... We still want to be here all together!"

'Very nice, Haruhi.'

"Please let me go! Tamaki-san, help me! Uwaaa! Father, help me! I want to go back to Kobe!" Kanoya confessed. "But, I can't think so. This new project was a dream you had for a long time but mother had to protect family customs. I know both of them are suffering, that's why... if he wants to pursue his comical path I want to help by pushing him towards it!"

'...Comical path...?'

"Eh?" Haruhi.

"Eh?" Kanoya.

"Eh?" Tamaki. "Comical?"

"Ah... Yes..." Kanoya continued. "He wants to be a chef entertainer. He decorates with kitchen knives, a new kind of art."

Tamaki was laughing hysterically, "A chef entertainer! I want to see it absolutely!"

"Ta-Tamaki-senpai!"

"I'm sorry..."

They heard the Twins' laughter, they were on another phone at Checkpoint Six, "What's a chef entertainer?"

Hani, also on a phone, "Is he also able to cut a cake~?"

"It sounds interesting, though." Kirro admitted.

"I now understand why the mother was sympathetic of him." Kyouya added.

"What a manly spirit." said Mori, also on a phone.

"Eh? You all?" Tamaki sounded surprised.

"We didn't think we would laugh so much!" the Twins giggled.

"It is kind of funny, isn't it?" Kirro giggled.

"If you have finished everything, go to the goal!" Kyouya told Tamaki.

"Listening to your laughing voice made me hungry~!" Hani stated.

"Curry." Mori said simply.

"That's right! Hurry up and make the curry!" the Twins ordered.

"Can you make a good curry with all those odd ingredients?" Kirro asked.

"Tama-chan, make it sweet~!" Hani advised.

"...Spicy..." Mori contrasted.

"Really, you guys are 'two steps forward, one step back'..." Kyouya sighed.

"Ah! Geez, shush, shush! Don't all talk at once!" Tamaki yelled.

Haruhi spoke up, "Kanoya-san, I'm sorry to have you go through this. But what you said just now, wouldn't it be good to also say it to your family? Because right now you... have an incredibly relieved expression..."

"Hello, Hikaru..." Tamaki addressed. "Do you think you could find some time later? There is something I want to talk about."

When they hung up the phone Kirro looked up to Kyouya, "Do you think he's...?"

"I hope so." Kyouya sighed. "This is beginning to get frustrating."

Though Tamaki and Kanoya pulled it together at the end, they lost to Kuragani and Sakurazuka, two of Haruhi's regulars. 'But, it was still a fun idea and it went just as planned.'


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Finally, Agenda, Tropics and Seniors.**

The scene that they saw in the morning when they went to school that day was odd but not surprising. Tamaki was trying to talk to Haruhi and messing up all of his thoughts which was just creeping out Haruhi.

'He went overboard...'

"Hold on... what's that?" Kaoru asked. "What's this... since early in the morning, this story..."

"Did Tama-chan really realize his feelings~?" Hain looked surprised.

"You heard it directly, right, Hikaru?" Kyouya questioned.

"Ah...yes." Hikaru replied.

"Ah!" Tamaki yelled. "Everyone, good morning!" He didn't notice it but Haruhi had run away. "I have a problem! I might have some sickness that doesn't let me talk clearly!" He was sitting on the ground crying. "Will I die?"

"No, you won't die." Kaoru sighed.

"No, no, it's because you're talking too much and causing trouble so early in the morning." Hikaru said irked.

"I don't think you're sick, Tamaki..." Kirro tried to explain.

"Have you no sense of the cold weather." Kyouya sighed.

"Tama-chan, good morning~!" Hani laughed.

"Good morning." Mori said simply.

"Hikaru..." Tamaki began. "...Good morning..." he put his hands on Hikaru's shoulders. He seemed to be pitying him.

"What's that annoying stare?" Hikaru said angrily.

"Hikaru, I'm sorry."

"I already heard this yesterday!"

"No it's not about that... I just understand it now... Probably... Probably Haruhi... Haruhi is in love with me..."

"Did... Did Haruhi say this?" Hikaru looked shocked.

"Oh, no, but, from her behavior..." he pointed to where Haruhi was running away. "Look, she is so embarrassed that she is rushing to the school building..."

"Isn't the bell ringing? Anyone would run." Kaoru explained.

"And her face is all red." Tamaki added.

"Isn't it because it's cold~?" Hani pointed out.

"You have too much confidence... Until yesterday you were swept away by your trauma and couldn't even move..." Hikaru criticized.

"Oh yeah, about that!" Tamaki smiled. "It wasn't trauma at all! I'm a genius, so there was nothing of the sort!" he flashed a peace sign.

"Eh? Then that serious mood you had until yesterday..." Kaoru sweatdropped.

"You can call it a slump." Tamaki said.

"Then all those trauma things we put in all the effort to help with..."

"Of course I'm grateful for that!" he smiled. "I understood that you all love me so much. Thanks to you, I had a reaffirmation of your affections and I was able to understand love. I was born again. I'm really sorry for Hikaru but this is a man's duel. I even understood that the feelings are mutual with Haruhi, this is the spring of my heart. Oh yeah! Let's have a party! This is the birthday of my new life!"

Hikaru looked like he was about to kill Tamaki.

Kirro heard Kyouya chuckle.

After class at Music Room Three, a whole celebration was being put together. Hani's eyes glittered at the cake that Tamaki held.

"Happy birthday to me~! Happy birthday to me~! Happy birthday, new Tamaki~! Happy birthday, King~!" Tamaki chanted. "Un, I think this small rehearsal is fine. Cake, okay! Drinks, okay! Cleared throat, okay!"

"Waai, cake~! Cake~!"

"Hey, do we really have to take part in this farce?" Kaoru asked, still irked.

"I don't mind the new Tamaki, but it's necessary to have a meeting about next month's events!" Kyouya sighed.

"New Tamaki... I also wanted Tono to get back to his cheerful mood. But amazingly... he was able to go up even more..." Kaoru sighed.

"Yeah! I have to write seating cards!" Tamaki announced. "Seating arrangements at a party are very important!"

"By the way, what happened to Haruhi?" Kyouya asked.

"She's in the library."

"Okay here's Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai..." King placed the cards. "And by my side, Haruhi." he placed a card that read 'Suoh Haruhi-sama' down.

'...?'

"Aah, it sounds nice, Suoh Haruhi~!" Hani laughed.

'Probably just happy because of the cake...'

"I might have done it too early." King laughed. "I should ask her what she thinks."

From the isolated table Hikaru looked at his phone and said, "Suoh Haruhi total points: 22. Luck cursed in domestic life, it will bring destruction."

'Online fortune telling?'

Tamaki went pale, "Ah well, I can always join Haruhi's family..."

"Fujioka Tamaki, domestic life very cursed. It will end up with a divorce."

"Oh yeah, Haruhi de Grantaine! This way, you can't check the fortune!" he laughed.

"Haruhi wants to become a lawyer. With that ostentatious name it will be hard!" Hikaru shot him down.

"Fine! We'll use separate last names! Why do you keep on saying bad things? Didn't you want to settle things with a man who has opened his eyes?"

"Settle things? Who said that and when? And also did Haruhi tell her your feelings directly?"

Tamaki looked stricken.

"A man who understands things, and feels happy because of it, is a bad person!" Hikaru went on. "He's disgusting! A stalker, a woman's enemy!"

Tamaki smiled, "If calling me bad names will help you calm down..." he bowed slightly.

Hikaru picked up the cake, "I'll kill him, right here and now!"

Kaoru held onto him, "Hikaru, calm down! If you want to become a criminal, what will happen to me? We have the same face!"

"Don't use Tama-chan's cake!" Hani cried.

"Calm down, Hikaru!" Kirro yelled.

"Let me go! If I thought for even one moment that I could lose to him, then I was stupid! What might happen to Haruhi if I'm too late? I-I will-! As a human being I will not forgive myself if I lose to that idiot!"

Kyouya started chuckling.

Kaoru yelled, "Kyouya-senpai, don't laugh, help us stop him! And also, it was you who first talked about the trauma!"

"Yes!" Hani agreed. "Now then, the cake, the cake!"

"Guys... I think he's gone crazy." Kirro said aloud trying to push Hikaru back.

"I'm sorry..." Kyouya laughed. "But... It's so refreshing that we are back to the old times."

Kirro thought about it, and laughed with him, "You're right!"

"Great, now Kirro-senpai's lost it!"

"Tono! I'm going to turn this cake into a bomb!" Hikaru threatened.

"No, you'll ruin the cake!"

"Okay! Let's sing that song again!" Tamaki floated about the room.

"Don't ignore me!"

"Is today somebody's birthday?" Haruhi came into the clubroom.

"Haru-chan~!"

"Hello Haruhi!" Kirro stopped laughing.

"You're finally here, let's start the meeting!" Kyouya announced, having recovered from the laughing fit.

"Okay but... that big person who looks like a small animal..." she pointed to Tamaki who was hiding.

"Ignore him, it's just a confused reaction due to his recent recovery from his serious mood." Kaoru offered.

"Haru-chan your seat is here~!"

"Thank you." she picked up the name card that had all the different surnames scribbled on it. "...What's this?"

"It's not what it seems!" Tamaki yelled. "Also I decided on separate surnames for us!"

"Eh?" Haruhi looked confused.

"I mean, because we're going to ma-!" he stopped himself from saying 'marry'.

"Ma...?"

"Now that you're here~! Let's eat cake~!" Hani smiled and offered her a piece of cake. "Here you go~!"

"Ah, thank you." she sat down.

"Wait! All the strawberries are for Haruhi!" Tamaki scraped all of the strawberries off the cake and onto Haruhi's piece.

"Eh? I want them, too!" Hani whined.

"No way! I'll give them all to Haruhi!"

Haruhi sighed, "No... I don't need so many..."

"B-by the way, when will Ranka-san be home?" Tamaki stuttered.

"Well, probably on Sunday."

"Really? Well then, next Sunday I'll wear a suit and come visit!"

"Eh? Why?"

"Because I want to pay him my respect..."

"Eh?"

"Eh?"

Tamaki looked stricken and suddenly whispered something to Hani.

"What~? You were told that 'I've never considered you as my father.' on the first visit to the temple this year~?"

King whispered something to Mori.

"'Even in this case, let's stay together.' But that referred to everyone."

Tamaki grew dizzy and fell on the floor.

"By the way, speaking of birthdays..." Kyouya began. "Isn't your birthday next week, Haruhi?"

'He's scheming again...'

"Yes, it's on the fourth of February."

"Finally, you'll be sixteen~!"

"Now our birthday information is available?" Kaoru screeched. "I thought it was taboo to talk about us getting older. Our birthday was completely neglected!"

"Haha, what are you talking about?" Kyouya shrugged it off.

Hikaru and Tamaki suddenly glared at each other.

Bzzt, bzzt. Kyouya's phone went off. He pulled Kirro over to the side.

'Is it about that woman...?'

"Tachibana? ...No, don't worry. ...Really? As I thought. You did a good job, please continue like this..." he closed the phone.

"Senpais... did something happen?" Kaoru asked. He was the only one to notice.

"No, nothing... Everyone seems to have a lot of time..."

Kyouya and Kirro shared a look.

"Eh?"

Kyouya turned back to him, "Would you mind helping us? It's research about the personal affairs of a lying lawyer... Something came to the surface, a dark suspicion I had about Mr. Yuzuru Suoh..."

It was a Sunday very close to Haruhi's birthday, and on request of the winners of the orienteering race, Kuragano and Sakurazuka, the Hosts were all attending a tropical plants park. But, Kyouya, Kaoru and Kirro were currently going over a certain something rather than enjoying the park.

Kyouya fanned out the photos, "This is the picture taken this year on the sixth of January." It showed Kousaka in her medical mask and glasses looking out a window. "This one was taken on the fifteenth." Kousaka again. "This one on the twenty-third." Again, it was Kousaka. "In all of them there is the lawyer, Kousaka, going to meet the head of the Suoh house, or in other words, Tamaki's grandmother. That doesn't mean that the meeting on the sixth was the first one, of course."

Kirro had already seen them but, since Kaoru was new to their little 'project' he looked ocer them and said, "Eh? Secret meetings? I'm sorry, Kyouya-senpai, but I don't understand. Kousaka-san is Suoh's lawyer, right? It's not so weird if she meets with Tamaki's grandmother."

"Not exactly..." Kirro stated.

"Actually, she is a lawyer from a law office that is in charge of the legal contracts of the Suoh family." Kyouya explained. "And also, she should be under the direct command of the chief, Mr. Yuzuru, for matters related to the 'Grand Hotel Chain'. The repeated meeting with the head chief are clearly unnatural. The fact that Kousaka-san had these meetings secretly during the absence of Mr. Yuzuru makes me believe that she had some personal connection with the head chief. I have no idea of her intentions. I'm still in the process of investigating if it had any connection with when she was following us on the day of the first visit to the temple this year. And, there are also big doubts I have about Kousaka, it seems that Haruhi heard from her that she wasn't an acquaintance of Haruhi's mother, but that is a big lie because that woman-"

"Kyouya, oi, Kyouya!" Tamaki yelled.

They turned to see Hikaru forcing Tamaki's hand into a Venus Flytrap's mouth.

"Hikaru wants me to become food for the animals!" he screeched. "Kaoruuu! Kirrooo! Hikaru is being cruel! Do something pleeeaaaaseee!"

"Ahahahaha! Your fingers are being eaten!" Hikaru teased.

Kirro sighed and went over to scold Hikaru.

"Kyaaaa!"

"In any case, for now, doing anything more than this is impossible..." Kyouya ignored King.

"R-roger." Kaoru sighed.

The Hosts welcomed the two guests in unison, but the two girls were really only interested in Haruhi as they were her regulars. So, they spent all of their time with her and asked her what flowers she liked, "It might be plain, but I like vegetable flowers with a strong flavor." Haruhi replied cutely.

Tamaki and the clients were moved by her modesty, Tamaki took out his memo book with the golden crown on it and wrote down the flowers that Haruhi liked.

"Hey, you idiot!" Hikaru said. "How long are we supposed to stay here? We're busy with preparations for Haruhi's birthday!"

"They said they wanted a date with the Hosts, but these two are mostly Haruhi's customers!" Kaoru complained.

"Here they come, the spoiled brothers." Tamaki sighed. "The ones who came up with this prize were you two, now take responsibility!"

"Listen!" the Twins yelled.

"We didn't think a certain someone would lose the orienteering rally, making all this trouble! Besides, how come you recovered so quickly? What happened to your depression because of Haruhi's hatred for you?" Hikaru got in his face.

"I didn't say that I was being hated! I just said she doesn't like me a lot!" he defended himself. "And I'm sure this is a trial that God gave me!"

"What, a trial?"

"Think about it, I just discovered what it means to be in love." Tamaki said dramatically. "It'd be just too wonderful if Haruhi returned my love so easily, right? Which is why, as soon as I realized that it was mutual, God said, 'Let's make you experience a one-sided feeling, first.'. And my heart is full of pain from this one-sided love. I'm so sorry Hikaru." he turned to the dark-haired twin. "This is a step towards becoming a strong man in order to make Haruhi happy, and for your sake too Hikaru, since you were so harshly rejected. And it's for you, too, Hikaru, that I will definitely win the trial by organizing the perfect birthday project."

Hikaru was shaking with anger.

"Tama-chan~! Tama-chan~! A great project~?" Hani bounced around."You already decided on a birthday present for Haru-chan~?"

"Obviously, it's something original. Based on Haruhi's favorite things... It's a special romantic plan, Hani-senpai!" King explained. "The stage will be set on Haruhi's birthday after school. Insert the colors of the evening into the Third Music Room. Haruhi will get an anonymous invitation and when she opens the door... I'll be playing 'Happy Birthday' on the piano, there will be ootoro and when she bites into one, there will be a diamond ring. And then, ours will become real love." he fluttered about.

"If you put a diamond in the middle of a vinegar flavored meal it may be disgusting and she may throw up or break her teeth." Hikaru shot him down.

"And rather than being innovative, it seems old fashioned and it wouldn't be enjoyable. Also, doesn't it sound like Godfather style?" Kaoru added.

"Or maybe it's something out of a sappy shoujo manga?" Kirro commented.

"And if Haruhi eats that part of the ootoro, wouldn't all of your efforts be useless?" Kyouya pointed out.

"Also, the part about the anonymous invitation, wouldn't that reveal your plans from the beginning~?" Hani asked.

"Certainly from the handwriting style." Mori added.

"Wha...!" King croaked. "Why are you all so cruel?" he pointed at them with tears in his eyes. "A few days ago, when I was in the middle of my slump, you all worked so hard for me!"

"That is over!" Hikaru sighed.

"We've used an entire lifetime's worth of energy helping you, so now, no more." Kaoru sighed.

"An entire life's worth? Really?" Tamaki fussed.

They all turned, about to leave him, "K-Kyou..."

"I made all the arrangements for that project and never thought you would lose." Kyouya said in his nonchalant but harsh way. "I was a fool."

"We're so busy planning things for our graduation..." Hani said simply.

"Hani-senpai, you too? Mori-sen..." Tamaki cried.

"Excuse me." Haruhi got his attention. "If you're not interested in the tropical park, you can go home." she said darkly. "To make things worse, staying in this hot greenhouse is making me annoyed to the point where I want to punch people..."

"I'm...!" Tamaki started afraid. "I'm very interested! Oh yeah, Haruhi, do you know the meanings of flowers?" he changed the subject. "You know, I usually hide it, but, I'm a flower meanings master!"

"Yeah? What about this flower?" she pointed to a muscari flower.

"Oh? A muscari? Well, it's not usually in a greenhouse but, okay..." he cleared his throat. "This flower has a very positive meaning. It means bright future and a love becoming great! But, on the other hand, it has a lot of opposite meanings. Disappointment and loss of hope"

"Oh, it's like Tamaki-senpai?" Haruhi concluded harshly.

'Ouch...'

"Eh? What do you mean? Haru..."

But she had started ignoring him, "Sakurazuka-san, what is over there?"

"That's is the water flower corner."

Tamaki fell to the floor in a puddle of his own tears. He got up and looked determined, "I won't lose!"

They followed him as he followed her to the water flower corner.

"Eeh~? So, Hika-chan will give Haru-chan a laptop for her birthday~?" Hani inquired.

"Probably. But, I also want to put a game on it, so I have to prepare it in a rush." Hikaru sighed.

"Laptop?" Tamaki looked over at them.

"What?"

"It's not romantic at all." Tamaki shook his head.

"It's fine, Haruhi would be happier with something useful." the dark haired twin explained. "Also, are you sure you're not the one that doesn't understand? A modest commoner woman like Haruhi, do you think she would accept a diamond? Getting a diamond without knowing who gave it to her seems similar to the method old politicians use. Giving something like this to a person is horrible."

Tamaki looked stricken.

"Heavy! Sick! Commoner's enemy!" Hikaru yelled.

"You say that, but a laptop is expensive, too, you know!" Tamaki defended.

"It's not so expensive! The cheapest one is only 300,000 yen!"

"You're wrong! From an ordinary person's perspective, those prices are definitely high! Now listen!" King ordered. "Commoner's use the Ichikyuppar Method!"

"The Ichikyuppar Method, like when something costs 1,980 yen instead of 2,000?" Kirro asked.

"Yes." Tamaki nodded. "It means 1,980 yen. In their language, there is also nikyuppar and sankyuppar. If you think about it, it's twenty yen less than 3,000 and 4,000. It's a positive feeling inside ordinary people's heads when they feel the desire to buy. They buy happily without having to pay the bigger bill. This concept is a remarkably magic word!"

"Unbelievable. A simple twenty yen can provoke this big motivation to buy things." Hikaru commented.

"Commoners are incredibly simple minded." Kaoru added.

"I see, now that you mention it, I've heard this somewhere before." Kyouya remarked. "When Haruhi said that her socks were three for 980 yen."

The Twins and Hani cried, "We don't wanna hear it!"

"So, following her personal values, a present that could make Haru-chan feel at ease~." Hani said when he gained control.

"It would be something that would make Haruhi feel at ease by being low-priced, useful and handy." Mori said.

Tamaki and Hikaru started thinking.

"Hold on. Hold on." Kaoru warned them. "You're thinking about something that you could use easily. Consider more Haruhi's house size and lifestyle."

"Haruhi's house size..."

They began thinking again.

"Something to let her read while resting...?" Tamaki babbled.

"Hold your horses. Hold your horses." Kaoru tried.

Tamaki and Hikaru started fighting again, thankfully Mori stopped them, "Hold on, both of you are forgetting something very important."

"Mori-senpai?"

"Look at Haruhi's face." he pointed.

'Her eyes look dead.' Kirro thought as Haruhi looked around at the flowers.

"Yes that's right. Haruhi isn't interested in tropical things." Tamaki said.

"Yeah, no matter how hard she tries to be 'active Haruhi'." Hikaru added. "On a holiday she would have preferred to stay quietly at home."

"And we're already thinking about her birthday, it's still several days away." King sighed. "Instead of trying to pursue Haruhi's happiness at this very moment." he snapped. "Hikaru, Kaoru!"

"Hai!" they saluted.

"Put yourselves at Haruhi's side!"

"Yes!"

"Hani-senpai, up on that tree!" he pointed and Hani ran off. "Mori-senpai, sanitize your hands and prepare a glass!" Mori ran off. "Kyouya! Kirro! I need help setting the place!" Kyouya got out his phone while Kirro went off to get chairs and tables.

The Twins accompanied Haruhi to find a fruit that she wanted, a mango, Hani retrieved it and gave it to Mori who squeezed it with his bare hands into a glass. Kyouya called his bodyguards, who brought fruits and seated Haruhi in the seat that Kirro had found.

"Haruhi." Tamaki started. "Sorry, I didn't notice it at all. You've been holding out until now, huh? Please help yourself." he motioned to the table with all of the fruit.

"You all... What are you talking about?"

Tamaki and the Twins peeled bananas and offered them to her in a 'lovely pose'.

"And I don't even need a lovely pose. You know, I don't need anything to eat. I'm genuinely having fun at this tropical park." Haruhi said.

"Hey~! Haru-chan look~! I'm sitting on this giant lily pad~!" Hani smiled in the pond.

'Sometimes it's hard to believe that she's eighteen...'

Tamaki and the Twins sat on the lily pad too.

"I can sit on it, too!"

"But, if I sit on it, it's cute!" Hani argued.

"If it's something like this, me too!"

"Tono get off, we're too heavy!"

The lily pad gave out and they all crashed into the water.

"It's cold!" they shrieked.

The water splashed on Haruhi.

"Waah! You broke the lily pad!"

"Are you okay?"

"A fat person like Tono can't sit on one!"

"I'm not fat!"

Haruhi fumed, "You all go home!" she yelled at them.

"Gyaaahh!" they ran away.

When Haruhi's birthday came around Tamaki and Hikaru accidentally got the same prawn-rice water flowing machine and Kasanoda made Haruhi the happiest with a shitake mushroom kit.

'Wow... I can't believe it... The day's finally here...' Kirro thought, a shocked expression on her face. 'The last club meeting for the seniors...'

Despite that fact, it was a normal day, well, most of the guests, and Tamaki were crying, but it was semi-normal. There was still flamboyant dress, a unison 'Welcome!', the extravagant dishes, a twincest act...

Haruhi ran around passing out towels and tissues to all the crying girls, and Tamaki.

"Tamaki-sama! Don't cry! We're here!" his guests cried.

"Suoh-kun!" Nekozawa appeared, he was also crying. "My separation from you is very painful!"

"Nekozawa-senpai! I'll be lonely! Don't go!" Tamaki cried.

'I thought Tamaki was terrified of Nekozawa-senpai... The magical power of graduation...'

Hani and Mori seemed to be having fun as usual, though. Except, Mori was very tired because of all of the challenges he had been issued. Mori had accepted every one but, though Hani received more challenges, he used discretion.

When the subject of college came up Haruhi asked, "Mori-senpai, what have you decided to do?"

"Um... sorry?"

"Come to think of it, I wonder what department Haninozuka and the others will go to? I'll be in the culture department." Nekozawa stated.

"I'm going into engineering because I really like making stuff~!" Hani exclaimed. "I'll make cars and toys~! And, new Haninozuka businesses~!"

Haruhi looked shocked, "So, Mori-senpai will go into engineering, too?"

"I'm entering the law department." Mori corrected her.

"Eh?" the Twins stopped. "You're kidding?"

"Really~! And, in April, you and I will definitely be in different departments~!" he smiled at Mori.

"And...so..." the Twins started.

'What?'

Everyone, except for Kyouya, looked horribly shocked that the Mori-Hani combo was breaking up.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Duel, and How Things Break.**

The club watched as Mori beat yet another kendo contender, "A hit! I thought I heard Mor-senpai's voice from the Kendo Club!" Haruhi mused.

"As expected!" Kaoru smiled.

"How many students does he plan to fight today?" Kirro observed the big group of people.

"Hey? Where's Hani-senpai?" Hikaru asked.

"It seems he couldn't wait, so he's in the dining room eating cake." Kyouya answered.

Tamaki kept crying.

"Next, first year, Ookaba." Mori announced.

"Hai!" one boy stood.

"This certainly will take a while..." the Twins sighed.

"Soon this Kendo Club will not see Mori-senpai's gallant figure..." Tamaki blubbered.

"Hey, Tono, how long are you gonna cry?"

"I'm sad so it can't be helped!" he curled into a ball. "Furthermore, Hani and Mori graduating is sad enough, but they're separating!"

"Well, it certainly is somewhat surprising but..." Hikaru started.

"I never thought Mori would leave Hani's side. But, the two of them seem fine." Kaoru finished.

Then, Mori collapsed.

"Or maybe not?" the Twins said in unison.

"He's not okay."

"Satoshi-kun! Chika-kun!"

'Long time no see...'

"As for the department situation..." Satoshi continued. "...it was decided that revered older brother would overtake the Morinozuka parent company...and leave Mitsukuni's side. As proof, yesterday at dinner, what was he thinking? He put grilled fish, natto and boiled things into the miso soup! Another thing, the day before he still had bedhead during morning practice! He mistakenly washed the tanuki, Pome, and hung him up to dry and seemed to be looking for the glasses he had on!"

'Wow...he really isn't okay...'

"Revered older brother would never agree to the decision! So-!" Mori tapped him on the head with his shinai.

"Satoshi, don't say unnecessary things... I decided on this path myself. Don't misunderstand."

"Revered older brother. When I go to college, will I still have my eyes on Yasuchika?"

Mori walked away.

"I'd prefer we separate sooner though." Yasuchika sighed.

"Well, it seems like a valid choice." Kyouya leaned against the wall.

"Kyouya-senpai?"

"Haninozuka and Morinozuka are strong separate enterprises that cooperate and have many relationships that cannot be separated. In the future, Mori-senpai will head Morinozuka with Hani-senpai as his good partner. Even though at the university they will be separated, they have already thought of the future upstream, with the understanding that, in the future, a lawyer will be needed. His role will be needed all the more when Hani-senpai wants to patent his R&D. Satoshi and Yasuchika probably don't understand this yet. Tamaki, you should understand this."

"Tamaki-senpai." Haruhi reached out for him.

"I know." he said from his corner. "I know that much. From the start, Mori decided this. We shouldn't pry into it. Huh? What Haruhi?" he turned to her. "Are you comforting me?"

"No, not at all."

He slunk back to his corner.

"Tamaki? Isn't it time to go?" Kyouya reminded him.

"Oh shoot!" King got up. "There's a meeting at the head office to observe today! See you tomorrow, everyone!"

"Bye!"

"You know, there was so much going on, that I barely noticed that it's already February." Kirro said as she was walking to the car.

"Everyone has been busy lately." Kyouya added.

"The lawyer investigation, Tamaki's meetings, the seniors' graduation..." she counted them off.

"You're right." he sighed. "Savor the moments we have off."

Kirro chuckled, "I'm glad everything is back to normal."

"Not everything is."

"What do you mean?"

He kissed her, "I haven't been able to do that for a while."

"No...no you haven't." Kirro blushed. "But, then again, who said that was normal?" she stuck out her tongue and ran into her car.

She sighed as she retreated from his glare, 'With so much going on...I haven't even had time to think about what I have with Kyouya.' her eyes widened. 'What do I have with Kyouya?' she put a hand over her mouth, stunned that she'd never thought about it. 'That time when we first kissed, we had been focused on Tamaki being lovesick. And, all those times he came to wake me up... And during the Sports Festival... When I was at his house... Oh, and the beginning of winter vacation... When we had been first introduced to Mei and I realized I had feelings for him, and we went to that festival... And, on the plane back from France... I said 'I love you.' didn't I?' she regained her composure. 'Maybe kissing is normal for us now... Why am I so confused?'

The next day after school something strange was confirmed, "Yep~! Takashi lost~!" Hani announced. "What's wrong~? Does your stomach hurt?" he asked Mori.

"No... I left an opening..."

"Hmmm... This kind of thing is troublesome. Takashi's loss is just like a Haninozuka losing." Hani stated.

"Mitsukuni, to say it like that-!" Satoshi began.

"Shut up." Hani ordered, a tad bit darkly. "What are you going to do if your kohai are worried? Are you telling me things are okay?"

"... I had something to say earlier." Mori started. "I challenge you, Mitsukuni. I propose a duel."

'Gah! Really?'

'Wow, the Newspaper Club printed something good.' Kirro held up the paper that had all the details about the upcoming duel between the cousins.

"Why is the date of the duel dragged out all the way until the day before graduation?" one girl asked Renge. "What'll we do if we don't patch things up quickly?"

Kyouya turned to Haruhi, Tamaki, the Twins and Kirro, "The fun is, the longer we wait, the bigger the event gets. On the appointed day, videos will be available."

"Making money until the end." Kirro said under her breath.

"Everyone is making light about Mori-senpai and Hani-senpai's most serious matter!" Tamaki cried.

"Place your bets!" someone yelled.

"Again, I realize who our number one sensitive boy is..." Hikaru commented.

"On the appointed day, let's trust in them. Get a hold of yourself." Kaoru added.

"I'll try my best!"

"However, since the duel declaration, it seems those two haven't said a thing." Hikaru sighed.

"Satoshi said that Mori-senpai is always up late practicing of course. He's been doing calligraphy, too." Kyouya said.

"What's he writing? Copying a sutra?" Kaoru wondered.

"The other side of the pair, Hani-senpai has been in his room. In the middle of the night, he can be heard chanting, 'shari, shari.' along with the sound of a blade being honed, Yasuchika said."

'Shari, shari, bones of a buddha?' Kirro translated.

"I think in the end, Mori-senpai can't win against Hani-senpai."

"Kaoru?"

"But, it's what I imagine." Kaoru sneered. "The 192cm Mori-senpai flinging the 148cm Hani-senpai, and the skill."

"Well, Kaoru, one for Hani-senpai." Kyouya wrote it down.

"So sly!" Hikaru yelled. "If that's for me, one for Hani-senpai!"

"You guys are so disrespectful! How sad for Mori-senpai!" Tamaki cried.

"Well, it makes sense." Kirro thought. "One for Hani-senpai!" she smiled.

"If you're all going to be that way, then ten for Mori-senpai!" King screeched.

"Calm down." Haruhi warned.

While Tamaki fought with the Twins Kyouya said, "You just bet against me."

Kirro put on the most arrogant smirk she could muster, "Hani-senpai is a little weapon of mass destruction. I have no fear of losing."

"What'll I do when you lose?" he smirked.

"Stop daydreaming." she poked him. "I placed a winning bet."

"We'll see." he chuckled.

'Already it's the day before graduation?'

They stood on a windy hill, the same one where Chika and Hani dueled. Both Hani and Mori stood in the middle of a crowd.

"And now the Morinozuka Takashi vs. Haninozuka Mitsukuni battle. They will use Haninozuka style." Tamaki announced. "This match will be decided if one's shoulders touch the ground for twenty seconds or more, if one goes out of bounds, or finds it impossible to continue the competition. Is that acceptable? Begin!"

Hani was up in the air within a second, he flung a kick at Mori, who caught his foot and punched Hani's shoulder. He kicked Hani at sent the small boy flying, but Hani spun and landed safely.

"Mitsukuni! Give up!" Mori grabbed Hani's collar.

Hani grabbed his arm and flung him and kicked him in midair.

"Mercy, ne! Hani-senpai isn't kidding! He sent Mori-senpai flying with a kick!" Kaoru gaped.

"Hani-senpai is already recovered!" Hikaru gaped.

There was a loud 'kyaa' from the fangirls as the duelists' faces got close, Hani withdrew a staff from his gi, Mori did the same. The staffs clashed and Hani was up in the air.

"Usa-chan... shuriken!"

The bunny tipped daggers broke right through Mori's staff, shattering it to little pieces.

'I guess that what he was sharpening?'

"An opening!" Hani kicked Mori in the shoulder.

Mori slid on the ground, he slowly got up on his hands and knees.

"It's over, Takashi!" Hani flung himself at Mori, his leg extended.. "Usa-chan-!"

"Mori-senpai!"

Mori plucked Hani from the air and put him down on the ground.

"The one finished is you, Mitsukuni." Mori said.

"Eh? Ah..." Hani was outside of the ring.

'Hani-senpai lost?'

"It's over! Out of bounds! This match is Mori-senpai's victory!"

'Hani-senpai lost?' Kirro was still shocked.

"Mitsukuni..." Mori withdrew a long piece of paper from his gi. "Point: Even though you are going to college, don't forget to brush your teeth. Point: To prevent adult illness, decrease your cake intake to below nine pieces. And the last point:... Mitsukuni, you are eighteen years old, at college, you can't carry a rabbit around with you." he pointed accusingly.

'He finally said something about it...'

"Absolutely NO!" Hani cried.

"You cannot carry it around!" Mori placed his hand on Hani's head.

"...C-can I change it to three days?"

Mori smiled, "Yosh."

"Kyou-chan~! Kyou-chan~!" Hani ran over to him. "Was our duel useful to Kyo-chan~?"

"Eh? Yes... with a considerable part of the club's expenses." he smiled.

"How is everyone~? Were you worried~?"

"With that, somehow Tono's wish on a shooting star came true." the Twins looked surprised.

"Ahaha~! I see~!" Hani took Usa-chan back from Haruhi. "It looks like all the girls and the others are piled up~!" he looked back to where everyone was chatting about the match.

"Eh? Wait a second, no way, that was a show?" the Twins gasped.

"The duel was real~! But, if I had known what Takashi was going to demand, I'd have never lost... In the first place, Takashi will intermittently see me with Usa-chan only because he saw me."

"No way, is that true?"

"You know, we've known for a long time that we have different paths to go down. It's too late to be troubled by it now~! But, really, I hadn't planned on these three years being this fun~! Tama-chan invited me to the Host Club and I got to eat delicious cake with everyone~! I had so much fun thanks to everyone~!" he piggy-backed on Mori and flashed a peace sign. "So, in the end, I had fun with everyone~! Thank goodness~!"

"Hani-senpai! Mori-senpai!" they hugged the seniors.

'It really has been fun...'

"By the way, Kirro..." Kyouya placed a had on her shoulder. "You lost."

Her heart sank into her stomach.

The graduation ceremony was beautiful.

"Tada~! Check it out~! Check it out~!" Hani laughed.

"Ah! You really graduated from high school and not elementary school!" Hikaru said, disbelieving.

"Tamaki, your face is disgusting, full of snot and tears." Kyouya criticized as King bawled into a handkerchief.

"No! These are graduation tears of joy!" Tamaki defended.

"But, it's sad." Kaoru started. "When I think even though we'll see you outside, we'll never see you in the Third Music Room..."

"Yeah, I have to agree." Kirro said. "It won't be the same at club time."

Mori patted their heads.

"Eh?" Hani looked confused. "Even though we're graduates, we can still normally show our faces around the club~! We can't everyday, but during college, we planned to occasionally~!"

"Um, what was that last speech for?" the Twins asked.

"That's because it's our last time in life as high school hosts. By the way, is Haru-chan still in the kitchen?"

"Why didn't you say something sooner, senpai?" Tamaki ran off to find her.

When Haruhi got back before Tamaki, she was extremely spacey and quiet, lost in thought. When Tamaki came back it looked like he had just run a mile.

"Kirro, about your losing bet." Kyouya said just before the party ended. "How about coming home with me today?"

"W-wha?" she felt the heat rush to her face and her eyes widened.

He just smirked.

"If you hadn't bet against me..." Kyouya said under his breath.

"You still would have found a way to get me here." Kirro replied with a small smirk.

They stood past the entrance to one of his rooms. Kirro had been here numerous times before, but, always on some kind of business. She had to admit, she was a little frightened, Kyouya looked at her like a hungry cat would at a bird that it had cornered.

"You're right." he smiled. "I was just looking for the right opportunity."

"Of course you were." Kirro raised an eyebrow.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her.

"Do I sense a bit of arrogance, Kirro?" he teased.

"Maybe some of yours rubbed off on me." she stuck out her tongue and he kissed her again. "You seem to have more than enough."

"It's not a wise idea to tease me." he pushed her back onto one of the couches. "Debtor."

He held her hands back and licked her neck. Her face reddened and he chuckled, "Exactly."

She tried to get her hands free to no avail, "Are you trying to get away from me again?" he nipped her collar bone. "Why would you want to do that?" he said arrogantly.

She had something that she thought might work, she turned to his ear and whispered, in the cutest voice she could, "Please let me go, Kyouya-sama..."

His eyes widened and he involuntarily loosened his grip on her wrists, she easily broke free.

"If I'm going to be here today, then you're going to learn to play fair." she smiled and ran her finger down his jawline. "Okay?"

He smirked, this time the smirk was wicked, "Say it again."

She smiled.

She blushed when she saw the marks above her hip.

'At least these ones are easy to hide...' she sighed. She pulled her shirt over them. 'Last night was...interesting.' she fell back on her bed remembering all that had happened. She hid her face under a pillow but quickly pulled it off, 'God, am I really that girly?' She sighed. 'But, what he said before I left...it's becoming true, isn't it?'

She remembered, '"Kirro, I think the Host Club's days are numbered." Kyouya sighed.

She smiled weakly, "I tried to forget about that. But, I guess I can't ignore it..."'

Her phone buzzed, 'Odd... I didn't hear it ring.' she reached for it. 'A voice mail?'

She listened, "Kirro! It's amazing news! Are you still asleep?"

It was Tamaki, Kirro smiled, "I'm moving to the Main Residence! Isn't that great? I wonder if it was my charm that made my grandmother change her mind?" The message ended.

Kirro's smile faded, 'We couldn't hold onto it forever...' she felt the tears in her eyes but she brushed them away.

She wandered into her studio and looked over what was supposed to be her masterpiece in the making, 'I just won't have the feel for it anymore.' she covered the easel, paint sticking to the cover in all the colors of the rainbow.

When her phone rang a few hours later she was still in her studio in front of the easel she picked it up slowly, "Hello?"

"Kirro?" it was Kyouya. "I'm expecting from your tone of voice that you heard?"

"Yeah." she said in a small voice. "I knew it was coming."

He sighed, "He won't answer his phone. I'm guessing that he isn't allowed to. All of his servants have moved on, and even Antoinette is gone. Everything has already been moved to the first estate. He's practically on house arrest."

"So there's no way to contact him at all?" Kirro ran a hand through her hair and leaned back, defeated, against a counter.

"No... Even if we could... Does he even realize what kind of situation he's in?"

"Most likely he doesn't..." she huffed in aggravation.

'It's funny.' thought Kirro. 'I'm always wishing for a peaceful vacation. I would have given anything for a hectic one this time.' The two weeks of Spring Vacation had crawled by and Kirro just wanted them to end so badly. Kyouya and Kirro hadn't even attended the Azaelia's Gala this year. The only thing she had looked up to were the meetings with Kyouya and the phone calls with Kaoru as they discussed the Suoh's lawyer and one of Yuzuru's missing subordinates.

When everyone finally had made it back to school, there was even worse news. Aside from Tamaki remaining rather uncharacteristically distant and explaining why he couldn't go to club any more, the was a sign on the front of the Third Music Room door, "No Entry. Closed for Repairs." it read in big, bold letters. 'That's a lie.' Kirro sighed, 'What the hell is going on around here?' she thought, reaching her breaking point.

"Kyouya-senpai! Kirro-senpai!" Haruhi ran up to where they stood in the hall. "Hikaru and Kaoru!"

"Good morning, Haruhi!" the Twins saluted.

"Kyouya-senpai, the Third Music Room is-!" she started.

"Ah...it's reached your ears." Kyouya turned. "It's merely under construction for repairs." he said simply.

'Yeah right.' Kirro tried to hide her frown.

"Huh?"

"It seems they haven't completed the work that started over spring break." he sighed. "And my key doesn't work any more. So, I'll have to exchange it."

Haruhi looked relieved, "I see, so that's the case. I also heard Tamaki-senpai can't come to club..."

"Yes, that's true. He's forbidden from going out on personal matters after school. After classes, he is to go straight home to learn about the Suoh enterprise."

Kaoru spoke up, "Sorry, the word had not yet spread to you. But, there's nothing we can do about it at this point. We don't know the cause. Even though Tono entered the main residence, his grandmother still doesn't acknowledge him."

"Oh no."

"Since the club president is on break and we can't use the clubroom, it seems we won't have club activities for a while." Kirro stated irked.

"Um, is Tamaki-senpai at school?" Haruhi asked.

"Yep. Tono is over there." the Twins pointed. "He's putting on the appearance of being very happy at the main residence."

Tamaki stood in the midst of his adoring fans. Cheering on and on about how beautiful the main estate was and how vast the garden was and how amazing the art was at the house. He really looked as if everything was perfectly great.

"He looks more than fine to me." Haruhi stated.

"So it would seem..." the Twins added. "As for that distracted guy over there, pointlessly worrying is..."

"Ha-!" Tamaki spun around. "Haruhi!" he ran over to them. "All of you, too! It's been so long! I was so lonely!" he hugged Hikaru.

"Why? Aren't you close to the main residence's servants?" Hikaru tried to shake him off.

Tamaki released his and rubbed the back of his head, "No, it's strange really. Revered grandmother said I should keep the talk with the servants to a minimum. Father is busy and I'm not worthy of talking to revered grandmother. Regardless, I had the time to improve my behavior and reflect upon how much I appreciate you guys. You guys... until now..." He turned to Haruhi and the Twins. "Until now I had thought you had treated me coldly. The improved me that you trained is deeply moved by your love."

The Twins and Haruhi looked at him disbelieving.

'Well, they did tease, harass, patronize and ignore him a lot.'

"I must leave the club for a little while but surely I will come to understand revered grandmother." he said, determinedly.

The bell rang, "Ah, that's the bell, let's go Haruhi."

"Wait!" Tamaki called. "Let's eat lunch together!"

'He wants to eat lunch with the club but...' Kirro cocked an eyebrow. "I don't know if he can..."

Tamaki was currently surrounded by a throng of first year students who had all wanted to visit the club as the newest guests, but, seeing as how the club was still on break and the King was inactive indefinitely, they wouldn't be able to. They had easily persuaded Tamaki into eating lunch with them instead.

"Has Tono already gone home?" the Twins screeched.

"Yes, the secretary came and picked him up from class." Kyouya answered.

"Wow, that was thorough!" the boys disapproved.

"He gave me a note addressed to everyone." Kyouya withdrew the note that was signed with a crowned bear.

'To Everyone, I'm sorry about today! We'll have lunch tomorrow!' it read.

"Tomorrow he will definitely have lunch with you."

"No matter the rush, he can't write something without the bear..."

"Tono isn't here, we're taking a break from club activities, and Hani and Mori-senpai are busy, so now, what do we do?" Hikaru sighed. "Call Mei-chan and go do karaoke?"

'Kind of out of the blue...'

Each twin placed a hand on Haruhi's head, "Might as well."

"Huh?"

'Haruhi is tone deaf. And, has a bad choice in music...' Kirro chuckled as Haruhi tried could tell at a glance that Mei and Hikaru thought the same thing.

"Have you heard anything more about the director's missing subordinate?" she heard Kaoru ask Kyouya.

"Yeah."

Hikaru and Mei went up to the stage to help Haruhi sing.

"There's nothing suspicious happening around Suoh, so I tried my own investigation." Kaoru continued. "Have you heard of Dr. Arman?"

"Tamaki's mother's primary physician? He retired two years ago." Kyouya stated. "Are his whereabouts confirmed?"

"Not yet, I tried sending mail, though."

"Kaoru...don't use mail."

"It was my father's so-called friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend."

"And? What became of this mail?"

"He wrote, 'Since I have plans to go to France soon, why don't I meet and talk to the doctor? Besides, I want to be a doctor.' When he was ten-years-old, he was pure and very cute. And then his wife kindly replied, 'Though it's a secret, he didn't go to France.'"

"You..."

"A pure child became a lying adult. And then I heard this from my father's friend's friend's friend's relative. Did you know, Tono's mother's sickness can't be completely treated because, it's an incurable disease? And, in general, it gets worse when the patient becomes an adult?"

"Then how could-?" Kirro turned towards them.

Kyouya was obviously wondering the same thing.

"I wonder why then, when you saw Tono's mother, she seemed healthy?" Kaoru finished.

'She may not be able to sing well, but Haruhi can definitely cook!' Kirro smiled.

Everyone, meaning Hani, Mori, Tamaki, Kyouya, Kirro, Hikaru, Kaoru and Haruhi, sat around a big table outside of school. Haruhi had decided to make lunches for all of them. And, if it wasn't for Tamaki's uncharacteristic distance, Kirro would believe that this was just another normal day.

"It was a really nice idea, Haruhi!" Hikaru smiled. "There are only a few students who bring a lunch, so, when it's like this, it's easier to turn down girls' invitations."

"I hear you~! Being surrounded everyday has been a bother~!" Hani cheered.

"Look! A hearty stew!" Kaoru pointed out.

"It taste really good." Kirro grinned.

"For our chefs, this would be completely impossible." Kyouya remarked.

"So true, given the cost of the ingredients." Haruhi added.

"Oh, I get it, are Mori-senpai and Hani-senpai using this as an excuse to make their grand entrance as Old Boy's?" the Twins asked.

"Isn't it because Tama-chan has to go directly home after school?" Hani answered. "And I'm worried Chika-chan is being bullied and is probably doing nothing about it."

"Why would anyone bully your brother, Hani-senpai?" Kirro chuckled.

"Yeah, nobody's teasing that impudent four-eyed boy." the Twins laughed.

"Hmmm? What'd you just say?" Hani turned to them.

Tamaki started giggling.

"Why are you laughing, Tama-chan?" Hani asked quickly.

"It's nothing, sorry. It just feels like it's been a while since we were like this." King smiled. "Haruhi, thank you. The omelet and the hamburger are quite tasty."

"You're welcome." Haruhi looked almost surprised.

"Really, I'm glad I got to spend time with everyone. Actually, I have something to tell you all..." he smiled. "I'm quitting the Host Club."


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Quitting, Suspension and the Grand Scheme.**

"Quitting...the Host Club...?" the words sounded strange.

"Yeah." Tamaki smiled simply.

The shock was clear on everyone's face.

"Wh...why?" Hikaru yelled. "Did that old woman say something to you?"

"My grandmother did talk to me about it, but I decided to do this myself." the smile remained. "Since entering the main residence. I've been seriously studying the Suoh business. To be honest, my hands are full with this, and I'm enjoying it, too. Day by day, I feel the thing I want to do becoming clearer. So..."

"'So' nothing!" the Twins objected in unison. "You shouldn't quit the club!"

"I have an idea, Tama-chan, you could be like Mori and me and come when you can!" Hani tried.

"I don't want to do things halfway..." Tamaki excused through his smile. "Because I asked you all to form this club, I apologize for my selfishness. I entrust the club to Kyouya, and I don't mind if you all continue, with one exception... Haruhi, you should quit."

"Tono?"

"Haruhi was dragged into this club against her will. Kyouya, what is the balance on her debt?"

"Uh...uhh..." Kyouya began calculating. "She has 372 customers against her quota of 1,000. At 2,000 yen per head, that's 744,000 yen. Deducting the gains from various actions from the remains of the vase, it's 4,589,332 yen."

"Okay, I'll take responsibility for that amount!" Tamaki stated.

"Tama-chan?"

Tamaki stood up, "Haruhi, thanks for putting up with us all this time. You did well. Your debt has been paid." he patted her head and walked off.

"Tono! We won't be silent and listen to something so stupid and selfish!"

"Thanks for the meal." Tamaki waved. "It's almost time for the first bell. So, if you'll excuse me."

"Tama-chan?"

"No..." Haruhi spoke up. "I will not consent to this!" she stood up. "Please explain yourself! Breaking that vase was my own carelessness! Tamaki-senpai there is no reason for you to shoulder my debt! In general, this doesn't sound like something you'd say. What did the president say to you? If you can't tell us, then at least tell us the reason for what you just did. Believe in all of us. Whatever it is, can't you be frank with us?"

Tamaki turned back to her, the smile vanished, "The reason I can't talk about this...has nothing to do with you, Haruhi. This is my problem and it has nothing to do with you. I don't want to talk about it and I don't want your understanding. And that's all there is to it."

And, with that, he walked off.

"Tono!"

Kirro realized she was still sitting.

"Haru-chan?"

Haruhi was quickly packing up everything.

"Haruhi?"

She ran off towards the gates. The Twins, Hani and Mori followed.

"Kirro..." Kyouya began. "Will you go after them?"

"Yeah." she said quietly as she got up and jogged off. Kyouya followed Tamaki.

"Haruhi wait!"

"Haruhi! Wait, where are you going?" Hikaru was the first one to catch up to her. "Calm down! We know you were really offended by what Tono said, but we don't know what his motives are, do we? Even if his grandmother said something to him, there's nothing we can do."

"I know that!" she snapped.

"Haru-chan?"

"Hani-senpai, do you know where the Suoh Headquarters are?" Haruhi calmed down.

"Eh? Y-yes, I know, but..."

"I'm sorry, but, could you please tell me?"

"Hold on, Haruhi we should probably be getting back." Kirro tried.

"...Haruhi?" the Twins prompted.

"If Tamaki-senpai can't tell me anything then...I'm going to ask the president directly!"

'Sorry to interrupt you, there's trouble.' Kirro texted Kyouya, who right now, was in class.

"Why can't we talk to the president?" Haruhi asked the women at the front desk. "I have something I must ask her about her grandson."

"I'm sorry, but Shizue Suoh is not here today." one woman replied. "And we cannot make an appointment while she's away. We can take a message, though."

"Hey you guys!" a voice came from behind the group. Everyone turned to see Tamaki's father. "I heard there were some noisy Ouran students in the lobby." he turned to the front desk. "Oh, and it's not necessary to report this to the president."

"Yes, chairman."

"I'll hear what you have to say." the chairman led them to another room. "Come, let's go to the reception room."

The situation was explained, "I see... Tamaki did that kind of thing... However, I respect Tamaki's independence. It is regrettable that this is what he desires, but at the same time, there's nothing for me to say about it."

"Chairman!" the Twins protested.

"Quitting the club in this manner, is something I don't think Tamaki-senpai desires." Haruhi tried. "Don't you think so too, chairman? Furthermore, if this is what he wanted, then, why didn't the second residence staff come with him and why was Antoinette taken away?"

The chairman smiled sadly, "Fujioka-kun, I'm pleased with you. And, I thank you all for being good friends to Tamaki. I must admit I'm beat. Compared to you all, my current self has very little influence on Tamaki."

The door flung open with a loud bam! and Tamaki and Kyouya walked in.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki yelled.

"Tono!"

"Tama-chan! Kyou-chan!"

"You guys! What did you intend to accomplish by skipping class? Haruhi, go back to school right now!" he grabbed her arm.

"Tamaki-senpai, I want to know the real-!"

"Shut up and go back to school!"

There was a stunned silence.

"Haruhi please, I beg you, because...it's troublesome!"

And with that, Hani and Mori pulled the shocked Haruhi out of the room as everyone went back to school.

"Gah, this week." Kirro exclaimed. Kyouya tried explaining the latest situation to her and the Twins.

"Wha-What does it mean?" the Twins asked angrily. "All the activities of the Host Club suspended for an indefinite period?"

"That's right." Kyouya answered. "I was called to the principal's office and told this."

"And what is the difference between this and being abolished?" Kaoru screeched while his brother stood silent. "Why? Is it because yesterday we went to the Suoh's main office?"

"Yes, that is the official reason." Kyouya sighed.

"But this... Wasn't it originally the Suoh's who started behaving weirdly? This... I won't accept a punishment this hard! What did Tono sa-..."

"What is he doing...?" Hikaru spoke up. "Tono... What the hell is he doing?"

"Hikaru..."

"I'm aware that something happened, and that it must be serious enough that he can't tell anyone..." he balled his fists. "But to the extent of putting the club on hold for an indefinite period... How can he be fine with it? And then...with Haruhi..."

"Kaoru, where is Haruhi?" Kyouya asked.

"I got an email from her. She said she would stay home today. I guess we can't help it... After being told that by Tono... Who would..."

"Yesterday the lawyer, Kousaka, went to Ranka-san's place under the order of the president and offered the opportunity for Haruhi to study abroad. There is no doubt that the president wants to get rid of Haruhi. Also, I still can't understand what the headmaster is thinking. And, in the middle of this whole situation where he can't even lift a finger, Tamaki is trying to fight in his own way. Even if I don't know...whether his method is right or not... I think there should be a meeting for the day after tomorrow... There's something we need to discuss..." Kyouya stated.

The very next day...

'Is that...?' Kirro resisted the urge to laugh. She had been walking in the hallway with Kyouya and Tamaki when they came across a 'boy' being hassled by the Twins.

This 'boy' wore thick, square-shaped glasses and a large sweater. Their hair was tousled so overall they looked quite lazy and boyish.

"Haruhi?" Tamaki asked quietly.

'Wow, she does look like a boy. I can see where they could have mistaked her.'

The three second years turned to the seniors, surprised.

"That appearance..." Tamaki continued.

Haruhi marched over to him, resolutely.

"Haru...?"

"It's because you want your grandmother to understand, isn't it?" she asked as she walked by. "You were forbidden from joining club activities by her. You're not a person capable of ignoring her will and doing what you want. This is something you want her to understand, that's why you need time. And I'm not just referring to club activities. You're grandmother is also a precious member of the family, right?"

'He just wants to fix all of his family problems.'

"It's for that reason that, for now, I can't be near you. In these circumstances, I'll go back to being the Fujioka Haruhi that didn't know Tamaki-senpai. So don't be worried and do what you have to do."

King smiled, and patted her head, "Thank you..."

Haruhi walked off.

At that moment, everyone felt the same feeling. Strength and determination. Perhaps even the two exmembers in the university felt it.

Everyone smiled as they went their separate ways.

"Hey, Kyouya." Kirro spoke softly.

"Hm?"

"Have you heard of SLE syndrome?"

Kyouya looked at her with a surprised expression.

"That it, isn't it? That's what his mother has."

SLE syndrome, or more commonly known as Lupus, is an auto-immune disease. There is no cure and only vague ideas as to what causes it. The disease is more common in females, but it affects males as well. Primary symptoms are fatigue, fever, joint pain, organ damage and skin rashes, though these vary from person to person. With medication, these symptoms can be relieved for short periods of time. As the person ages, though, the medication loses it's effectiveness and the condition becomes more severe. In rare cases, this disease is eventually fatal.

'This is what Anne-Sophie has...'

The meeting was held at Kyouya's house and everyone but Tamaki was in attendance. They sat around a large coffee table, listening to the details of their research.

"This is all Kaoru, Kirro and I found from our investigation." Kyouya began. "Tamaki himself may not know this himself, but his mother, Anne-Sophie, without a doubt suffers from SLE syndrome. Kirro and I her five months ago during the trip to France, and it seemed her symptoms has naturally subsided."

"Which is rather common with SLE syndrome." Kirro chimed in.

"But, the whereabouts of her current attending physician, Dr. Alleman, as well as the whereabouts of Yuzuru Suoh's right hand man are still unknown." he paused. "The surrounding circumstances are too strange and bring more questions to mind. For example, given Yuzuru's position, why doesn't the chairman do anything about the lawyer, Kousaka's, activites on behalf of the president? Furthermore, Tamaki was separated from his mother and then later moved into the main residence all seemingly without Yuzuru's knowledge. Why didn't the chairman have to make an appeal to the president for this to happen. What's the chairman waiting for to happen? And, when it does happen, what then? None of this makes sense to me, so I want all of your cooperation on this matter."

Haruhi was the next one to speak, "Can you think of any reasons why Tamaki's mother's condition wouldn't be temporary?"

"Haruhi...you..." Kaoru began. "When you're around just us, can you stop dressing like that?" he yelled ad she was still in her lazy boyish clothing.

"Eh? But I don't have contacts." she returned nonchalantly.

"Moving on, Kyou-chan, how about the miracle theory~?" Hani asked, ignoring the two. "Perhaps it was a miracle that made Tama-chan's mother get better~? Aren't there stories like that about cancer~!"

"That's something I can't declare because it's too simplistic and doesn't give us much to think about." Kyouya replied simply.

"...Live medical testing, maybe?" Hikaru's serious voice came from the corner of the group.

"Hikaru...?" his brother questioned.

"Tono's momma is the test subject for a new drug and the doctor is being confined so he can work on development." he started shaking. " And the chairman is being weird because it's a national secret!" he stood freaking out. "We're all going to be eliminated! Auugh!"

"Hikaru, calm down!" Kaoru tried. "Geez, you've seen too many science fiction movies. A human test subject is too frightening a story!"

"No, it isn't." Kyouya said calmly.

"What?" the Twins and Haruhi were shocked.

"I've also thought about that possibility." Kyouya continued. "Maybe there is an ongoing development of some kind of wonder drug for Tamaki's mother's illness."

"And, maybe, Tamaki's mother is using it. It is...possible." Kirro added.

"...In a Stage II clinical study."

"A Stage II clinical study?" Haruhi prompted.

"After animal testing, human dosage testing begins. At first, only a fraction of patients are used. If this is the case, then Tamaki's mother's health improvements are believable and it follows that, as Hikaru said, her attending physician is participating in the development. Dr. Alleman has been studying the illness for a long time, so he is very knowledgable."

"I knew it... It is human testing!" Hikaru babbled.

Kyouya opened his laptop, "However, I can't find any information. Usually the basics of a clinical study are made public. It's unusual for the results of a Stage II clinical study not to be available. Since Suoh took a stake in it," he continued. "the advances the Grantenieux Company has made in the pharmaceutical industry, have made considerable headlines. So, no matter how you look at it, there's no reason the results shouldn't have come out."

"As expected from a future medical student." Kaoru commented. "You did a lot of studying."

"Who said I was going into medicine?" Kyouya asked of him.

"What~! You're not~?" Hani was shocked. "I thought it was a given~!"

"My two older brothers are studying medicine, so I figure I ought to become a management expert." Kyouy explained. "I'm thinking about going to a university in the U.S. And then, after graduation, I'll stay in the U.S. to get an MBA. My older brothers- especially Akito-niisan -think I'm chasing behind them..."

'And there's the evil smile.' Kirro chuckled.

"But, I intend to take a different route."

"Um, can I borrow a list of the clinical studies?" Haruhi asked.

"Anbody can see them on the Internet."

"But I...don't have a computer."

"Haruhi you can borrow my laptop." Hikaru kindly offered.

"Wha? Really?"

"Yes, but before you use it, I'll have to make some customizations."

"All right starting now it's the 'Let's get Haruhi on the Internet project'!" the Twins announced in unison.

"Wha?"

"Yay~! It's been a while since I've had Haru-chan's home cooking~!" Hani cheered.

"Well,treating everyone is-!" Haruhi tried objecting.

The Twins, Mori and Hani ran out of the house.

"I'm home~!" Ranka announced as he walked through the door to his apartment. "Work was tiring again... KYAAA!" he screeched as he discovered Mori, Hani, Hikaru and Kaoru on the floor of Haruhi's room asleep in a huddle. "What the hell is going on here at this hour in my marriageable daughter's room?" he picked up Hikaru.

"Kyouya-senpai, Kirro-senpai." Haruhi called, apparently she was ignoring her father.

"What?"

"Yes?"

"At this 'Anneau' research institute, there was a Stage I clinical study that tested a drug for the same disease Tamaki's mother has." Haruhi looked over the entry on the list. "But the results are not available."

"In that case, it's safe to think the experiment failed." Kyouya said.

"But last spring the research institute became a public corporation." Haruhi continued.

"They went public without publishing results?" Kyouya looked confused. "'Anneau Pharmaceuticals', I've never heard of it."

"Anneau, that's French, right~?" Hani rubbed his eyes as he woke. "It means 'ring'."

"The same as the meaning of 'tamaki'." Mori realized.

"Hey...moreover, the spelling." Kaoru began. "If you remove 'au' from anneau it leaves 'Anne'."

"Tamaki's mother's name!"

"Just as I thought, the chairman is backing the Grantenieux Company's drug development." Kyouya said. "Furthermore the new company that was set up is already preparing for a product launch. If that's the case, then, why still have the secrecy?...My family is involved..." he looked shocked. "...If father is involved, then controlling the production information, of course, would be easy... That guy will do whatever it takes. Anneau pharmaceuticals owner is probably the Grantaine family. By setting up the new company, the chairman is allowing the Grantaine family to make enormous profits. If the Grantaine family can stand on its own, then they won't need the Suoh family's support. And, they won't be under the president's control. Tamaki and his mother will be free, this was the chairman's objective the whole time."

"And, therefore, they had to keep absolute secrecy. In order to hide it from president." Kirro analyzed.

"However, the chairman's real objective is terrible."

"What do you mean?" Kirro questioned.

"The morning news is out!" the Twins crowded around their laptop. The announcement of the new drug was the headline.

"...If I'm not mistaken...the chairman plans to oust the president!" Kyouya concluded.

'His father will destroy Tamaki's dream of a complete happy family.'

"He didn't come to school?" Haruhi asked while they stood in the hallway.

Kirro shook her head, "I'm not very surprised, though."

"Yes...and there hasn't been any information from his house. Also, just a few minutes ago, I got a message from Tachibana. It seems that the retirement of the president was formally announced at this morning's Board of Directors meeting."

"So, it's like the article said." Kaoru held up one end of the newspaper. "But, somehow I still don't understand."

"How does the restoration of the Grantaine family relate to the fall of the president?" Hikaru pressed. "Does it mean the headmaster has been planning this from the start?"

"You see..." Kyouya gestured to another group in the hallway. The group clustered around a newspaper. "The other students are shocked by this morning's news. I hope this doesn't turn into unnecessary trouble." he pushed up his glasses.

The week passed quickly. Tamaki hadn't come to school all week.

"Tono didn't come today either?" Kaoru asked again.

"Hasn't it already been five days?"

"Yes, and now everyone is talking about it." Kyouya sighed. "I heard that Tamaki is completely ignoring the headmaster. And knocks on the door of the president everyday, but she doesn't come out. He ends up waiting for hours in front of the door. I talked to Hani and Mori-senpai today, we've decided to visit the main house today. What will you do?" he asked Haruhi.

"I-I want to come to!" she announced. "Please take me with you!"

The Suoh's main residence was thirty times greater than the second residence.

"Hello, I'm Ootori, Tamaki-san's friend." Kyouya said into the speaker at the gate.

"Please wait. I'll announce you." came the response.

"That's so fast~! They're announcing us~!" Hani cheered.

"It means that the president's power has been reduced in the main house."

"Ah!" Haruhi stood by the gate.

"Tono!"

"Tama-chan~!"

Tamaki greeted them sadly, "Everyone, you came. I'm sorry for being absent the past few days."

"Tono, did you lose weight?" Kaoru asked, worried.

"I take it that everyone knows what happened?" he ignored the question. "I think father has his own reasons for acting like he did. Probably the only reason I'm taking it out on him is because things didn't turn out the way I wanted them to. But no matter what, I can't bring myself to look at him. I want to stay as close as possible to my grandmother. So, I'm sorry but, would you please go home?"

"Tono?"

"Let's go." Kyouya turned around and grabbed Kirro's hand.

"Kyou-chan, where?" Hani asked as Tamaki walked away.

"Isn't it obvious? The Suoh main office."

"I was expecting you to come." Yuzuru Suoh stated as the group stood before his desk. He looked on at them tiredly. "I'm going to Narita in a short while. I'm meeting someone. I don't have much time. Tamaki isn't speaking to me, can you tell him this on my behalf?" he smiled weakly. "What happened was by all means something the whole company wanted. And, it was all done for Tamaki's sake as well."

"You're wrong headmaster." Kyouya corrected him. "It was also done for yourself. For the reason that you, too, more than anyone else, have been oppressed by the president for a long time."

"As the third son of the Ootori family, you might indeed know how that feels." the chairman stated. "It's true, for so many years, I did all my mother asked me to do. I was forced into a marriage where there was no love from either part, pretending that I didn't know that my wife was having an affair on me with someone else. But, then I fell in love and, for the first time, opened my eyes. I divorced my wife. And, of course, after that my mother continued to pressure not only me but Tamaki and Anne. And, you all know the rest. Finally, I'm able to get rid of my mother by myself. I was so sure that Tamaki would have been happy with this, too."

"You're a fool!" Hikaru yelled. "What you did only hurt Tono!"

"That's right!" Kaoru yelled. "I'm sure things must have been hard for you also, but-!"

"Hikaru, Kaoru!" Kirro tried.

"Calm down, the discussion isn't over yet." Kyouya held them back. "And what about you letting the lawyer, Kousaka, move around freely? Is it because you knew she was acquiantanced with Haruhi's parents, or more specifically, her father?"

"...Yes, I did." Yuzuru admitted. "I could see that my mother wanted to get rid of Haruhi-kun because she thought she wasn't worthy of the Suohs and I thought that Kousaka, due to her feelings with Haruhi's father, would stall this plan. She was also really talented in helping to get Tamaki into the main house. I wanted Tamaki to be accepted into the house because of his own efforts, and he did produce great results. Yet, my mother would still not acknowledge him because of her pride. So, I had to do something to pressure her. Just then she started to investigate Tamaki's close friends and I thought I could use this. If Tamaki managed to enter the main house only because of my mother's downfall, then his efforts wouldn't have been rewarded, would they? That's why I wanted him to be accepted in before the Board of Directors meeting. Kousaka turned out to be a very talented person. She was composed enough to talk my mother into making considerate decisions, and she also became a good ally for the Fujioka family."

"You mean Kousaka was doing your bidding from the start?" Hani asked, shocked.

"I'm really sorry for that hard disposition toward the club." the chairman apologized. "But, I knew that Kyouya-kun was doing a lot of research. And, it would have been inconvenient if a foolish action would have attracted the president's attention." he smiled. "You can reopen the club anytime you want. I'll notify the principal!"

"Wha?" the Twins began yelling. "Don't joke with us! Deciding things for your own convenience!"

Kyouya stopped them again, "I understand you are a loving father that only wants the best for his son. And also that the development of the new drug originally began with your desire to help Anne-san. But, you completely misunderstood that the most important thing is Tamaki's feelings. And I can't forgive you because you used Tanaki to get revenge on your mother! Do you understand why he bore with every cold treatment that he was given by the president?" he yelled.

"Kyouya, calm down." Kirro tried.

"It was because, since she is your mother, she was family!"

"Kyouya..." she tried again. He took her hand from his shoulder.

"And, in all this, you were the one who made him long for a family to such an extent!"

"Kyou-chan?" Hani and Mori helped hold him back.

"Dammit..." he said under his breath. "Don't take me for a fool!"

The chairman covered his face and they all left the room.

Once Kirro and Kyouya got in the car, Kirro said," Hey...he knows what he did was wrong..."

"And, am I supposed to forgive him?" he stared out the window.

"No, but...well, it'll be okay. No matter how much the chairman made a mess of things, Tamaki will be able to fix it."

There was a pause.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't worry about it."

"And how am I supposed to not worry about it?" he turned to her.

"Have a little faith in Tamaki, he's probably found a way to make his grandmother like him already." she put a hand on his face. "I mean, he found a way to make you like him."

He smiled in spite of the prior conversation, "You're lucky I'm not in the mood to get back at you."

"I know." she smiled and kissed him.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Mother, Finally, and Back Again.**

"Tono's mother came to Japan?" the Twins wore the same shocked expression that Kirro had when Kyouya told her.

"Yes, it's been three days and she is staying at the Rio Grande Hotel." Kyouya continued.

The stood in the corner of the hallway, Tamaki still wasn't in school.

"Then that's great! If Tono meets with his mother then he will definitely cheer up!"

"Well, it's not so simple..." Kyouya sighed.

"Tamaki refuses to see her before his grandmother forgives him." Kirro raised an eyebrow.

Everyday one or more of the group would go to the Suoh's main house, trying to talk to Tamaki. So far, nobody was able to coax him out. This time, they all went.

"Yes?" the speaker asked.

"Excuse me for coming so many times...this is Ootori." Kyouya spoke into the speaker.

"I'm sorry, for the time being, Tamaki-sama said he doesn't want to see anyone."

'So, this is the tenth day with the same response. I hope he's at least eating... I hope he really can make his grandmother like him...'

"I'm saying that, here, everyone is aware of the problems related to Suoh-san's birth and about how he was never accepted by the president."

Kyouya and Kirro sat in the middle of class 3A, both utterly speechless as Ayame Jounouchi revealed this to them.

"I merely did an investigation due to my hostility towards Suoh-san when he first transferred here." she continued. "But, I think a majority of the Host Club's regular visitors found this out very early on. After all, it's pretty normal for fans to want to know any possible information on the person they like. When I found out, I was shocked. But, I don't believe anybody cares, seeing as how Suoh-san is the way he is. I don't believe any Host Club member cares either. That's why, we thought we might be of some help, too."

Kyouya looked around the room, finally noticing how everyone in class quietly listened and agreed with what Ayame said.

'I wish Tamaki was here to see this.'

"Kyouya-senpai! Kirro-senpai! Hikaru! Kaoru!" Haruhi barged into the room where everyone, including Hani and Mori, were gathered.

"Haruhi!"

"Haru-chan~!" Hani jumped up. "I heard you were called to the headmaster's office! What happened?"

"Hani-senpai, Mori-senpai." she greeted calmly. "There were some documents... But, more importantly, we have a problem! It seems that Tamaki's mother will be leaving for France on a plane that departs tomorrow at noon!" she screeched.

There was a heavy, shocked pause.

"What the hell?" Kaoru broke the silence. "She hasn't even seen Tamaki yet!"

"Actually, she shouldn't have been here in the first place! They got permission from her doctor for only a short stay!" Haruhi revealed. "She is still not completely recovered, yet! So she can't stay for a long time overseas!"

'So...she's just another one of the chairman's victims...?' everyone deadpanned.

"Anyway, Tamaki said he won't see her until he gets his grandmother's permission! His mother says she wants to respect his wishes and will go away like that! And, the chairman is depressed and won't do anything!"

"I-isn't there anything we can do?" Kirro thought aloud.

"Should we kidnap him?" Hikaru said seriously.

The plotting began: "If we take him away by force and he sees his mother, maybe something good will happen!" Hikaru continued.

"I know! We should sneak into the main house!" Haruhi agreed.

"And we should tie him up with ropes if he tries to resist!" Kaoru offered.

"Yes! Yes!"

"Stop, stop, you three idiots." Kyouya interrupted them. "Do you think they don't have security in the main house?" he sighed. "Even if you happen to get in luck, they'll just catch you right away..."

"Still, we have to make them meet now!" Haruhi yelled at him with determination. "Because she is finally so close!"

"Kyou-chan, Takashi and I will take care of bring Tama-chan." Hani stated.

Mori crossed his arms and nodded.

"But even so...you two..."

"Don't worry, I have a plan. But, even if we do our best, I think we will only be able to make it at the last minute."

Kyouya sighed, he looked around the room at everyone. His gaze fell on Kirro, her eyes seemed to say, 'We have to try.' He turned to the window and pulled out his phone, "Tachibana, find the shortest route from the Souh house to the Narita Airport. I don't care what means you need to use."

"Kyouya-senpai?"

He smiled, closing the phone, "That's incredible... Sometimes you're just as reckless as Tamaki..." he turned. "Do you get it? At any cost, no matter what, we will have Tamaki go to the airport tomorrow morning!"

"It's already ten-forty a.m., have Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai went to Haruhi and the Twins yet?" Kirro waited anxiously.

"Be patient. They're sure to get to the Suoh residence soon." Kyouya tried.

"How can I be patient? I'm worried." she whined.

"What have I told you about worrying?" he drew closer. His phone rang. "Hello?"

Kirro could here Hikaru from where she was standing, "Kyouya-senpai! Kyouya-senpai! What should we do? Tono's mama is already at the airport!"

"Calm down, Hikaru. Since the flight leaves at noon we still have time." he sighed. "Regardless, things on your end are fine. I already took into account that you three would be nervous."

"Augh! Your perfection pisses me off! Anyway, what are we supposed to do when Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai get here?" The phone suddenly cut off.

"Hn, it seems like Hani and Mori-senpai just arrived." he commented.

"Good." she sighed. "I hope he'll make it to the airport in time."

"He will. Have a little faith, remember?" he smirked quoting her from the other day.

She glared at him, "At least one of us isn't nervous."

He raised an eyebrow and whispered in her ear, "No, I am nervous."

She turned back to him and smiled small, "You don't act like it."

"Of course I don't, I'm nowhere near as nervous as you."

She sighed, "How is that possible?"

He smirked.

"Kyouya-sama!" Tachibana called from the car. "Tamaki-sama is in the helicopter!"

'Yes!'

Over the radio, the helicopter's pilot could be heard, "Hikaru-sama! Kaoru-sama! The fog is suddenly moving in from the west very quickly! We may have to turn back!"

"No way! We can't! We've already wasted too much time taking this detour! We have to keep going!" Hikaru and Kaoru yelled.

"We can't! It's too dangerous!"

Kyouya spoke into the radio, "Hikaru, Kaoru, calm down."

"Kyouya?" it was King.

"Tamaki, listen to my instructions..." he ordered. "Once you land, we'll be there to meet you, okay? You'll only have a few minutes, but I... Hello? Tamaki? Tamaki?" he sighed. "What the hell?"

"What happened?" Kirro asked.

"I'm not sure."

Kirro whipped open her phone and called Kaoru.

"Kirro-senpai?" it was hard to hear him over the sound of whirring blades.

"Kaoru, what's happening?"

"Oh, it seems Renge-chan and the others overheard us while we were planning. I guess they all wanted to help. Right now we're heading to the Tokyo heliport. From there Tamaki will be arriving by boat to the place where you and Kyouya-senpai are waiting."

"Did you catch all that?" Kirro asked Kyouya.

"Yeah."

"Good. Thank you, Kaoru."

"We're right over the heliport, he should be there soon, goodbye!"

She hung up.

"Okay, so he'll be coming up the river." Kyouya turned towards the river. "It'll be close, but if we hurry, he'll have just enough time."

"I hope."

"I know." Kyouya smirked again.

It was almost eleven-thirty-five a.m. by the time the speedboat carrying Tamaki, Haruhi, and the Twins came up the river.

"Tamaki, over here!" Kyouya yelled.

"Kyouya! Kirro!"

"Come on! Come on!" Kirro urged.

"Geez! Get a move on you guys. Listen to me!"

"Sor-Sorry!"

They rushed up the stairs to the car, Kyouya sighed, "I normally would have prepared a helicopter for this kind of urgent matter..."

"Eh?" Tamaki prompted.

"But, for me to do such a thing...would deprive me of the chance to bask in the glow of my own supreme ability to calculate."

Kirro rolled her eyes.

The road they were taking was monitored by police, both in squad cars and on motorcycles, and the sidewalks were lined with people bowing and both lanes were completely clear.

"I prepared this route long ago. We will be at the airport in fifteen minutes."

Kyouya sat in the front passenger seat. Haruhi sat in the middle at the back between Kirro and Tamaki.

Kasanoda and the Twins yelled their encouragement to Haruhi as they drove off.

"Tamaki, head for Terminal 1 Gate WI5." Kyouya instructed. "The flight started boarded long ago, so if the worst case arises and you have to board the plane, my staff will back you up. Kirro and I will be waiting in this car. I wonder if this reunion will be as grand as the reunions usually portrayed in the movies. Frankly, I'm not good at being deeply good." he smirked.

"Kyouya..." Tamaki stared at him. "Thank you."

"You are very welcome." they bumped fists.

Kirro smiled.

"Um, what about me? Should I stay in the car, too?" Haruhi asked Tamaki.

"Haruhi...stay with me until the very end." he grabbed her hand. "I haven't seen my mother in three years and my hands are shaking."

"Tamaki! Haruhi! We're here!" Kyouya announced.

"Good luck!" Kirro yelled as they got out of the car.

"Run you two!"

When Kirro and Kyouya got out of the car, they saw a plane leaving. Both of them wondered if it was Anne-Sophie's plane and if it Tamaki and Haruhi had gotten to her in time.

"Do you remember when you almost went back to California?" Kyouya whispered.

"It seems so long ago now." Kirro mused.

"I'm glad I got to you in time." he kissed her.

"I'm glad you did, too."

Tamaki's reunion with his mother only lasted five minutes, but the emotion in their embrace would last anyone a lifetime. While Tamaki and Haruhi watched as Anne-Sophie's plane took off, Haruhi confessed her feelings for Tamaki and they shared their first kiss.

"Kyou-chan~! Kir-chan~! Hika-chan~! Kao-chan~!" Hani and Mori caught up to them as they waited at the airport's entrance.

"Hani-senpai! Mori-senpai!"

"Where are Tama-chan and Haru-chan~?"

"I think they're still in the airport." the Twins answered.

"Did Tama-chan meet his mom~?"

At this time no one knew for sure, "If they couldn't meet after all the stuff I made people do, I'd be half-dead." Kyouya smiled.

Hikaru was looking through the doors, "Haruhi... I wonder if that girl confessed to Tono?" he hid his face.

"Hikaru..." Kaoru had a small, sad smile.

"I'm sure she did."

"Then, if that's the case...you did a wonderful job encouraging her. I'm sure she properly told him."

Everyone jumped up to Hikaru as he started crying.

"Hika-chan! My heart weeps for you!" Hani hugged him.

"..." Mori patted his head.

"That was a very mature thing of you to do, Hikaru." Kirro tried.

"Would you like to borrow my handkerchief? For a fee, of course..." Kyouya offered.

'Of course.'

Four days later, via earnest petition, the Host Club was reinstated.

Finally, when the doors opened, there was the world of Greek mythology.

Kirro was all smiles while she sat in her usual corner, painting the 'masterpiece' that she had almost forgotten about. Meanwhile, all of the Hosts sat around entertaining the guests in their togas.

"Tamaki-sama, welcome back! Your absence was like parting from the sun!" one girl stated.

"Oh princess, you were sad? I'm very sorry! But, did you know? Without the goddess that draws dawn's curtains, Apollo cannot soar across the sky in his glittering chariot." Tamaki fluttered about. "Those of you who led out of darkness are truly the sun! You are all my dawn goddesses!"

"Hikaru-kun and Kaoru-kun are perfect as the Gemini twins Castor and Pollux!" the Twins' guests squealed. "Gods and humans were separated at birth. However, because of brotherly love, the Gemini twins wanted to stay together, and they prayed to the gods to split their godly power between them!"

"Well, I must admit, of the Greek myths this one is the most interesting." Kaoru said. "This is of course because of the themes of incest and homosexuality, as well as the myth's message about the curse of jealousy and the turbulence of love and hate."

Hikaru pulled his brother close, "If we were born into the world of mythology, we too couldn't be separated from each other, right Kaoru?"

"Don't say such things, Hikaru... Didn't we promise if we were reborn we would be a single star!"

"Speaking of mythology, Mori-kun as Hercules and Hani-kun as Cupid are perfect!" another girl remarked.

"Thank you~! By the way, did you know~? In ancient Greece, sports were only played by males~! And, in those days, it was a rule to play sports in the buff~!" Hani cheered.

'Why did he bring that up?'

"Look! Look!" another girl started, pointing over to where Haruhi was talking to Kyouya. "That kind of outfit highlights Haruhi-kun's androgynous nature."

"It really does. He's like Aphrodite's beloved Adonis."

'Didn't Adonis die in a squabble between gods?'

"He's more like the beautiful boy Apollo favored." Renge pointed out. "Hyacinthus, his loss was greatly mourned by Apollo."

'Hyacinthus also died in a squabble between gods.'

"That explains who Kyouya-sama is supposed to be. It makes sense given his coolness."

"What?" Kyouya asked Haruhi, who was looking at the guests oddly.

"...Actually, this is the first time I've seen people so correctly correlated with Greek mythology. Like the gods, everyone is too arrogant and devoted to hedonism."

"Ah, I see. But, that is why so many people have handed down the stories. People fear the thought of their own personal knowledge exceeding the power of the gods, while at the same time, because the gods are so full of human traits, the stories serve as cautionary tales that are easy to relate to, right? Incidentally, do you know the tale of Kronos, the youngest son of Uranus, who usurps the power of his heavenly father is of great interest to me?"

Kirro couldn't help but chuckle.

As the Twins dragged Haruhi off to talk to her Kyouya walked over to Kirro, who quickly covered her painting.

"Am I not allowed to see it?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Not until it's finished, Narcissus." she teased.

"The man who falls in love with his own reflection?" he smirked.

"Yes, you're arrogant enough for the role." she smiled.

"And, would that make you Echo, the wood nymph who always lusting after me? Hm?" he whispered.

"Hm?" she raised her eyebrow.


	30. Chapter 30

A.n. Yeah, this is the last chapter of The Creative Type. I want to thank you all for reading and favoriting and reviewing. I desperately appreciate it.

**The Last Chapter: Dates, Truths, Friends and Love.**

"Nothing!" Tamaki shouted in exasperation. "I can't come up with a plan for the most perfect first date in the universe with Haruhi!"

They, this time excluding Haruhi, all sat around in one of Kyouya's rooms trying to help Tamaki.

"Hey, Tono."

"A movie...no good!" King hadn't heard the Twins. "Haruhi would be more focused on the popcorn than the movie! Furthermore, halfway through, she'll get bored with the movie and probably fall asleep...no, she'll definitely fall asleep! As for the zoo, I'll get overexcited and Haruhi will definitely be bored! If we go to an aquarium, the foodwe eat will remind her of the animals we just saw!"

"Tama-chan~! What about an amusement park~?" Hani suggested.

"Hani-senpai!" Tamaki screeched. "Don't you know about the legend that says that couples that go to an amusement park for their first date have a fifty percent chance of breaking up?"

'Don't all couples have pretty much a fifty-fifty chance?'

"Ah! But if we go to the beach, Haruhi will be embarrassed because she can't swim!" he went on. "And, because her reflexes are so slow, taking her to a sports club would be an absolute insult!"

'Isn't he insulting her right now?' Kirro raised an eyebrow.

"Tono, calm down! For some time now, you've been horribly insulting Haruhi!" the Twins yelled. "No wonder Haruhi said Tono seemed busy."

"Putting aside a whole lifetime's worth of memories so he can secretly plan a perfect date won't make Haruhi happy." Kyouya stated. "But, I suppose sooner or later it will occur to him to go with something simple."

Tamaki's face brightened up, "Magic."

Kirro had to jump up and help restrain Kyouya, who asked, "Can I kill him slowly for his stupidity?" with an evil aura about him.

'It's like he wants to die...'

"What about magic?" he repeated. "It's a tactic I can use instantly if Haruhi gets bored!"

"That distraction sounds idiotic." the Twins tried. "Even more so if you're downtown trying to get Haruhi's attention."

"Yes! It's decided! Kyouya, stock up on magic equipment immediately!"

"Quit talking nonsense!" Kyouya ordered.

"Calm down, Kyouya." Kirro tried.

"Mori-senpai, practice being the person I will cut in half, please?"

"..." Mori was shocked.

"Let's not try that, Tamaki!" Kirro tried.

"Hani-senpai, get me a saw!"

"What?"

"Tono, don't be so rash! Together, with us, we'll help you come up with a plan!"

"Hikaru! Kaoru! You guys are angels!" Tamaki hugged the Twins.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll pull an all-nighter."

"Tama-chan~! We'll help you, too~!" Hani smiled.

"Why are you still in my room?" Kyouya sighed.

"Hello, Fuyumi." Kirro greeted, as she was the first one to see Kyouya's sister walk through the door.

"Kirro!" she hugged her. "It's been so long since I last saw you! I don't believe I've been able to see you since you moved to Japan! My how you've grown! And so beautiful!" she fawned.

Kirro blushed, "It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"What are you doing here?"

"We're helping Tamaki pratice his first date plan." she smiled.

"What? What? Oh my! Oh my!" she looked astonished. "Praticing the first date plan? Tamaki-kun?" she ran over to where everyone else was standing. "Tamaki-kun? You got a girlfriend? Congratulations! It's so nice, the first time I met my husband was wonderful!" she gushed.

"Fuyumi-neesan, I know my brother-in-law is on a business trip but please don't come over here on a whim." Kyouya sighed.

"Father's at an academic conference, so he isn't here, right? It's fine!" she laughed.

Tamaki sighed, flipping over another page in his little king notebook. "Which place would Haruhi enjoy?"

"Tono has a tight schedule already..."

"One day in Kyoto and Kamakura?"

"Yeah, it ought to be worth it to bring Haruhi along!"

"This plan could make Haruhi quite happy~!"

"...Kizuchi Marketplace?"

"Mori-senpai, nice!"

"Wait, what are we doing?" Kaoru interrupted.

"Yeah, we have a secret weapon, Tono!" Hikaru agreed.

"Ah! W-what is it?"

"Kirro-senpai is a girl, right?" the Twins smiled.

She glared at them, "Yes, last time I checked."

"Right! Kirro!" Tamaki's face lit up. "You can help me! Which is the better idea?"

Kirro sighed, "There are two errors in your request: One, I don't know about half of these Japanese places. And two, I've never been on a date in my life." she shrugged.

"But, how can that be yo-!" the Twins began to tease her.

"Boys." Kirro warned. She turned towards Kyouya and Fuyumi with a distressed look on her face. Kyouya just smiled and waved. Fuyumi chuckled.

"All right! With your help, the plan is complete!" King announced holding up a slip of paper the next day at school. "I'm off!"

'But of course, that wasn't the last we saw off him, we kept true to Host Club form...' Kirro sighed while walking with the rest of the club as they watched Tamaki and Haruhi. "Stalking, again?"

The two being observed stood by the fountain, and then in the fountain as they tried to retrieve various papers from the waters. Kirro couldn't hear what they were saying but they both looked happy and...

'...awkward.' Kirro smirked.

"What's going on?" Hikaru asked. "Is Haruhi actually merrymaking?"

"That's what it looks like~!" Hani grinned.

"Hey? Aren't you guys supposed to be in the university division?" Kaoru asked of the alumni.

"...Yeah, this morning." Mori replied.

"Why are we stalking them?" Kirro raised an eyebrow.

"...This is ridiculous." Kyouya agreed.

"You two be quiet!" the Twins hushed them.

Kyouya sighed, "By the way, Kirro, you have been on a date." he informed her quietly.

"Really? When?"

"If nothing else, we were at the festival together last year." he smirked.

"I don't count anything like that." she smiled. "All of my outings with you have ended with you taking advantage of me." she whispered into his ear.

"Oh, I took advantage of you, did I?" he raised an eyebrow. "I happen to remember you not only allowing me those advances, but, and I know I'm not wrong, you were enjoying them." he chuckled.

"Ky-Kyouya!" she half-hissed at his teasing.

"Yes, there was a lot of that." he snickered into her ear.

Kirro blushed.

Something caught Kyouya's eye, "Why are you dressed like that?"

The Twins were changing into random clown outfits that seemed to come from nowhere. Hani had on large glasses with swirls on them and an attached mustache and Mori was wearing sunglasses and an afro wig.

"You weren't listening, were you?" the Twins huffed.

"Tamaki and Haruhi are going on a date to an amusement park~!" Hani cheered.

"Right now?" Kirro raised an eyebrow.

"Well, no...~"

"Then why are you dressed like that now?" Kyouya asked.

"Wake up, Kirro." Kyouya's tired voice tried.

"Why?" Kirro rolled over.

"Because everyone wants to watch Tamaki and Haruhi on their first date."

"...I don't." she burrowed into her blankets. "I'm not worried about them like everyone else."

Kyouya sighed and chuckled, "I'm not either."

"Then why don't we just stay in bed?" she tried.

There was a silence, "You do realize what you just said?" he smirked.

"I know what I said, Kyouya." she smiled.

He turned her over and was on his hands and knees above her, "As tempting as the offer is..." he ran a finger under her chin. "I really don't think we're on the same page." he chuckled. "Now, come on, get up." he pulled her up.

"Last chance, Kyouya." she pulled back.

"I still have to decline." he picked her up out of bed on his shoulder.

"Aah, Kyouya!" she tried to balance herself.

"Let's get you dressed." he growled.

"Not before you get out of my room!"

'At least I tried to disguise myself...' Kirro raised her eyebrow from behind her opaque sunglasses. Her floppy straw hat kept her face from view.

Kyouya hadn't disguised himself at all. The Twins were dressed as maintenance workers, Mori was a balloon vendor, and Hani was a tiny clown.

'I'm glad I came, though... Haruhi is adorable!' Kirro smirked from their viewpoint.

Haruhi wore a multicolored sun dress with a flowy light jacket on and a large flower pin. She looked surprisingly girly in all her accessories.

'I bet Mei-chan had something to do with it. ...Where is Tamaki?'

Hikaru sighed, "Our plan was to watch those two undoubtedly embarrass themselves so we could tease them about it afterward but..."

"You know, I want to date that cute Haru-chan, too~!" Hani pouted.

"Mitsukuni, your voice is too loud." Mori cautioned.

"More than jealous, I'm annoyed." Kaoru stated. "Why is he making Haruhi wait? He should have arrived first even if it meant not sleeping!"

"Well, I don't know about that but..." Kirro sweatdropped.

"I'm sure he's making a big deal about what to wear." Kyouya sighed.

"Tsk! Nobody cares about your clothes!" Kaoru patronized King.

"It would be better if he showed up with totally weird attire and got dumped on the spot." Hikaru added.

"Oh, come on, Tama-chan isn't that stupid." Hani tried.

"Haruhi! Sorry for making you wait!" Tamaki appeared.

'What the hell is he...?'

Tamaki wore a heavy formal hakama which was imprinted with his family crest.

'He is that stupid!'

The Twins and the alumni grabbed Tamaki before he could get to Haruhi and carried him off to the boy's bathroom. When they threw him out he was in casual wear.

"Eh?" Haruhi rubbed her head. "I got the feeling you were dressed in clothes that made me want to go home..."

"W-what?" Tamaki stuttered.

"That was close..." the Twins sighed in relief.

"Nice save, guys." Kirro held her thumb up.

"He really was about to get dumped on the spot!" Hikaru shrieked.

"It's a good thing we brought some clothes just in case!" Kaoru added.

"It is so like Tama-chan not to betray our expectations at all!" Hani sighed.

"Weren't you all annoyed at him?" Kyouya raised an eyebrow.

"I-in any case, how about we go inside now, Haruhi?" Tamaki went on.

"But this is the special gate."

"Welcome, Suoh-sama, Fujioka-sama!" a collection of workers chorused.

'What is he thinking?'

"Congratulations on your first date! Congratulations! Congratulations!" the workers said as a smiling Tamaki and a mortified Haruhi walked through the gate.

"Thank you! Thank you, everyone!" Tamaki waved.

"Senpai, what is all this?"

"Surprised?" he smiled. "Actually, the was supposed to be a rice shower, too, but I thought wasting all of that rice would make you sad, so I had it saved for you! And, I was also offered the entire park to ourselves but I knew you wouldn't like that! I firmly refused it!"

Haruhi looked like she was about to kill him, the gang rushed in and shooed away all the workers and the readied carriage.

"Clear the area! Nothing to see here!"

"Eh? It disappeared?" Haruhi turned back.

"It's over already?" Tamaki questioned.

"Like I said, what were you trying to do?" Kyouya asked the drained Twins and alumni.

"It's true that in the corners of our hearts we wanted them to break up...but..." Hikaru huffed.

"Yeah..." Kaoru agreed.

"If we leave that idiot alone he really will get dumped in one single day... We need to do something!"

"I'm so torn between wanting this date to succeed and wanting our usual stupid Tono, this feeling is weighing my heart down..." Kaoru sighed.

"Might it be love?" Hani questioned.

"Mitsukuni, no, this feeling is...the feeling of a parent who wants to look after his child after he leaves the nest for the first time." Mori explained.

"You guys..." Kyouya pushed up his glasses. "If your brains have nothing to do but think of these useless thoughts, maybe you should reflect on other problems..." something caught his attention.

"Hm?"

"Is something wrong, Kyou-chan?" Hani asked.

"Oh no, nothing, I just thought that my eyes were deceiving me for a moment."

Surprisingly what went on afterward wasn't as awkward as it could have been.

Around lunch time Hani said, "The atmosphere is nice~! Maybe we worried needlessly, it might be better if we just go home~!"

"If it goes smoothly, it's boring." Hikaru said annoyed.

"It would have been better to add wasabi to their takoyaki." Kaoru commented.

"Still saying this like that?"

"And you know, Haruhi was cute even before, but it's as if she's a real girl today~!"

"Hani-senpai," Kyouya spoke up, "actually this is what-."

"Haruhi, Haruhi, here, Ahhh..." Tamaki waited for Haruhi to feed him takoyaki.

The Twins dropped their lunches.

"Ah! But, their are two toothpicks, you can help yourself!" Haruhi tried.

"But you fed me at the school festival!"

"But there are so many people!"

"At that time, there were a lot of people!"

"No way! No way!"

He grabbed her hand, "So...feed me?"

"I guess there's no choi-..."

The Twins threw a sandal at King's head.

"Hika-chan! Kao-chan!"

"That was so close!" Kaoru sighed.

"Haruhi was about to snap and go home!" Hikaru added.

'...liars...'

"You're both so obviously selfish." Kyouya crossed his arms.

"By the way, Haruhi, where do you want to go now?" Tamaki asked as he recovered.

"The nearest attraction is a haunted house."

"Anywhere but there!" Tamaki screeched.

"Are you scared?"

"No, it's just, I already experienced a terror previously that was worse than the haunted house! When I called, the devil himself could have answered or a demon incarnate! Even remembering it makes me shudder! Kyouya is absolutely frightening when he wakes up!"

Tachibana and the rest of Team Kyouya showed up in pig suits and stomped on him.

"Good job!" Kyouya smiled evilly.

"Thank you!"

"Y-you..." Kirro's eye twitched.

The next attraction the two visited was the aquarium, where they watched the beluga whales swim. A small child tripped next to them, and to cheer him up, Tamaki showed him the magic tricks he had been practicing for Haruhi. But then...

"Young maiden? Is that you?"

'No way!'

The Zuka Club stood before them.

"So I wasn't wrong..." Kyouya said simply.

"Oh my, you are so cute today!"

"To meet by coincidence. This is our fate..."

"Let's ride the ferris wheel together!"

The trio hugged Haruhi.

"Hold on! Wait! Haruhi is on a date with me!" Tamaki stood up.

"You're kidding me, right? Who would date a vulgar person like you?" Benio yelled.

"Stop right there, lovely ladies." Kyouya and the rest of the Hosts stepped up. "Those who get in the way of love's path will be kicked by horses. If it's alright with you, we would like to be your opponents."

"You...everyone?" Tamaki freaked out.

"You just realized it now?" Hikaru sighed.

"You should have noticed it when we changed your clothes~!"

"By the way, how did you still have magic tricks in different clothes?" Kaoru asked.

"This way!" Kirro pointed to a separate hall.

"Hurry up, go!" Kyouya pushed the two off.

"Kyouya... Everyone, thank you!" they ran off.

"Young maiden!"

"We are your opponents!"

Truthfully, there was no battle, they just explained how this date came into being.

"I see, since when did those two develope such a relationship?" Benio questioned. "So I guess our young maiden has stopped participating in that silly club, eh?"

"No way, why would she do something so stupid?" the Twins asked.

"Who is the stupid one here?" she yelled. "How long do you plan on keeping her gender a secret? You can't go on like this! If you just leave it be, it's just a matter of time until everyone around her finds out. Don't you understand this? She looks too much like a girl!"

"When a maiden falls in love, she changes!" Hinako added.

"Shut up! That's none of your busi-!" the Twins were cut off.

"Wait, she's right." Kyouya said. "The reason is not only this development with Tamaki. It's true that we can't keep on hiding her true gender forever."

"Kyou-chan?"

"Then, what do we do?"

"Well, actually, there's something I noticed a while ago..."

He was interrupted by the sound of the Zuka Club running away.

"The Zuka Club!"

"Young maiden!" Benio, Chizuru and Hinako caught up with Tamaki and Haruhi.

"Wait!" the Hosts and Kirro caught up with the Zuka Club.

"Aaaahh!"

"Haruhi! Can you run for a little bit more? Just until the center square's fountain?" Tamaki asked.

"Weren't we going somewhere else?" Haruhi ran.

"Yes, but, I think, even if we use a car, they'd follow us, so, maybe this will be a good distraction."

As the separate groups ran, the clock rang to announce that it was one o'clock. Just as it did, a flock of doves flew out above the central fountain, "This was today's best illusion!" Tamaki laughed as everyone else stopped. "Come on! Let's go, Haruhi!" they ran off.

"Young maiden wai-! Ah, the doves!" the doves attacked the Zuka Club.

Mori whistled and all of the birds flocked to rest by him.

'He must have been an animal tamer in a past life.'

Kyouya sighed.

Kirro looked up at him, "Hm?"

"Kirro, she's going to accept it you know."

"The offer to study abroad? I know." a small smile sprouted.

"What will we do then?" he leaned against her.

"But, you were offered it, too, right?"

The next day after school...

"Eh? Haruhi-kun will go to study abroad?" the guests screeched.

"To Boston for one year?" the Twins and Hani joined in.

"Are you stupid? Boston is basically the countryside!" the Twins yelled,

"N-not really..." Kirro tried.

"Actually, I've heard that the school in that city is perfect for studying abroad." Haruhi explained.

"You should have got an exciting city, like Las Vegas or Beverly Hills!"

"I'm going there to study, so I don't need it to be exciting."

"That's not what we mean! It's just that studying abroad is something that can be done after high school!" they threw their fists up in the air.

"Actually, this has been something I was bothered by as well, and my father also offered to pay my expenses to go but..." she smiled. "Now it will be completely free."

"Come on, Tono!" the Twins whined. "You've got to stop her, too! After all you've just become a couple, are you fine with her going?"

'Did they just scream that?'

"Hika-chan, Kao-chan, shhh!" Hani warned.

The guests looked on excitedly, hoping to hear more about this 'couple'.

"I'm supporting this, actually." Tamaki smiled. "It's something Haruhi decided after being troubled a lot."

"You're making the face of somebody who is incredibly understanding, again!"

Tamaki looked at the clock, "It's already that time? And by the way, for the time being, I'm putting a lot of effort in training for the job at the Suoh company!" he smiled. "But I will try to show myself from time to time at the club!"

"Wait, what do you mean? Kyouya-senpai! Kyouya-senpai! Do you get it, this bas-!"

"The Host Club will surely hold a goodbye party for Haruhi." Kyouya went into business mode. "We're also planning to have a special edition photobook, special goods and more."

"Kyaa! I'll definitely buy it!"

"Kirro-senpai, do something!" the Twins ordered as they held Tamaki back so he couldn't leave.

"About what?" Kirro smiled, acting oblivious.

"Haruhi, when are you leaving?" Kyouya asked as all the guests ran out of the room to spread the information.

"Ah, yes..." she thought. "The school there starts in September, but, I'd like to get used to my life there a little before that time, so I think I'm going right after the closing ceremony of the first term."

"I see, there is also the exams before the end of first term, so we will be busy as well. How about we have your goodbye party the evening of the day of the closing ceremony?"

"Wai-Wait! Everything is happening so quickly!" the Twins protested.

"Hikaru, Kaoru." Haruhi turned to them. "I'm sorry if I decided all of this by myself, but I would like you to understand if possible. I'm also really sad to part from all of you, but it's thanks to all of you that I could make this decision. Thanks to all of you, I was able to expand my world so much. That's why, now, I feel the need to see more and more things."

"Haru-chan."

There was a pause before, "Got it." Kaoru and Hikaru were pacified.

"Then, Tamaki-senpai, Kyouya-senpai." Tamaki froze before opening the door and Kyouya turned his head. "I have something to ask you. If my horizon expanded, it wasn't because I met all of you, but it was also because of everyone in my class and our guests at the Host Club. For this reason, I don't want to leave keeping my secret. Would it be possible for me to reveal everything to everyone?" she smiled.

'Really?'

After that, the days flew by, studying for exams, planning for the goodbye party, Haruhi's studying of the English language, 'She could have just came to me for that...instead of Jounouchi...' Kirro sweatdropped, and Tamaki's business with the Suoh company kept everyone's agenda full.

And, finally, just after exams...

"Okay, everyone, did you get it?" Tamaki asked from the head of the table. "Tomorrow we'll have the goodbye party, finally, and...at the same time, the fulfillment of the project we talked about. You all need to handle everything very carefully."

"What big words from someone who basically didn't help in anyway for this party..." the Twins criticized.

"Just in case, let's review everyone's positions again, one more time..."

"Tono, a question!" the Twins raised their hands. "Do you really think everything will end well? It's kind of a big bet, if Kyouya's guess is wrong."

Kyouya sighed and turned to Kirro, "Kirro, having known me longer than anyone else in this room has. how many times have I guessed wrong?"

Kirro thought back, "Not often..."

"Not ever." he corrected.

"We'll see when the time comes!" Tamaki smiled.

"Too easy!" the Twins yelled.

Tamaki went on, "It's because I want to believe in it... That the time that Haruhi spent with all of us... The days when our guests continued to support us no matter what..."

Kyouya raised his hand, "I have another thing to say. There is something that our leader has to tell us..." he gestured towards Tamaki.

"Eh?"

July twentieth, five o'clock, central building, great hall...

Tamaki bowed, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming here to celebrate this party for our scholarship student who is going abroad. It's called a goodbye party but...our club's motto is to always provide entertainment for our guests... Therefore, the theme this time is...a masquerade party, Host Club style!"

Kirro looked through her glittering silver mask at all of the attendants in their lavish outfits and masks. She hadn't had much time to design her dress, but, she liked it a lot. The black straps tied around her neck, there was a white and black polka-dotted bow on the breast, the waist had stripes leading down that were also black and white, a glittering silver scarf tied around her waist and the skirt of the dress was red and was adorned with two fabric black roses, it ended with red lace a few inches above her knees. She wore plain black heels and white gloves as well. Her hair was pinned up to reveal her mask that had red gems and two red feathers on one side.

The dance had just begun, but already there was so much time being lost, as Haruhi was dancing with Kasugazaki of her class, Kyouya caught her attention, "Is it already time?" She ran off with Hikaru and Kaoru to help prepare.

Kirro got out the dress as the Twins prepared the makeup.

"Haruhi! Ah, she's here, she's here!" the Twins announced as Mori set Haruhi down.

"Wha-wha?" Haruhi frantically looked around.

"Ah, all this rushing is so nostalgic~!" Hani laughed.

"Come on, sit down, I'll put some light makeup on you!" Hikaru ordered. "When I'm finished you'll change your clothes right away!"

"Kirro-senpai, is the dress ready?" Kaoru asked.

"Yes!" she chirped.

"Wait! You don't mean?" Haruhi screeched.

"Well, we also said that this was a bit reckless." the Twins went on. "But, Tono and Kyouya-senpai..."

Kyouya entered the room as if on cue, "...Haruhi, I'm not someone who bets on a situation easily if I can't predict victory or defeat, but, I think that, for this time, I will do it and agree with Tamaki's opinion." he smiled.

Kirro revealed the dress to Haruhi, who nearly gasped. Bows and pointed-petaled flowers lead up from one side to the only strap on the opposite side, populating the ruffled waist and draping down her back, the bunched up skirt was also covered with large bows and pseudo flowers and went to her mid-thigh. The hairband that went with it had the same two flowers on one side and her sandals had multiple straps and tinier flowers. She wore a long wig that was the same color as her hair. Her mask was plain and white.

Tamaki could be heard from the other room, "Everyone, please put on the mask that you have in your hands. From now, with the light a little lower..." the chandeliers were dimmed. "it will be quite hard for you to recognize everyone around you. Among these people, I would like you to find someone. Someone that will be away from Ouran for some time. The real form of Fujioka Haruhi!" he grinned. "The title of this game will be: 'Let's look for Haruhi-kun!'" he pointed.

An audible gasp rippled through the crowd.

"Haru-chan, you're so cute, do your best~!"

"You do look lovely." Kirro smiled at her.

"...Haruhi." Mori added.

"Haruhi." Kyouya added.

"Haruhi!" the Twins pushed her out of the room. "Go!"

Everyone in the next room could be heard searching for Haruhi.

The Hosts came out just after the guests had found Haruhi, they had known all along, even about Tamaki. They had even urged Haruhi to dance with Tamaki at the last waltz.

"Besides, I found something far more precious, and I have no intentions of ruining it." Kirro heard Kyouya say as she made her way up the stairs to the balcony that overlooked the Great Hall.

"Ah, there you are, boys, I know this is the last dance, but, there are still a lot of requests from your guests to dance." Kirro chuckled. "I can lead you to them if you want."

"Ah, that's right~! Kir-chan~!" Hani laughed.

"Yes, what is it, Hani-senpai?"

Before he could say anything, Kyouya walked up to her and took her hand.

"Kyouya?"

"Well, you said it was the last dance." he smirked. "I'll just have to send flowers to the girls I left out."

"Wha-what?" she asked, completely confused.

After a short while, Haruhi and Tamaki had went out and, suddenly, Haruhi's voice could be heard, "EEEHHH?"

"I think that was Haruhi." Kirro analyzed expertly.

"Finally, Haruhi realized it, too." Hikaru laughed.

"It's kind of incredible." Kaoru commented.

"And, when he said, 'I thought everyone knew already.'"

"'I'm definitely not letting Haruhi go there alone.'"

"The reason why Tama-chan was so busy," Hani began. "was because his grandmother had said she would agree with his plans to study abroad only if he complied to the tight schedule that she made up for him. But, if Kyou-chan hadn't informed us yesterday, we wouldn't have realized it either..."

"Aah..." Mori agreed.

"Well, I can see him planning something like that." Kyouya sighed as all the guests mourned the temporary loss of Haruhi and Tamaki.

"And..." the Twins continued. "for that reason, we were all in hurry and emergency mode."

"That's right~!"

"One second.. Hold on... Why is that moron going with her? Come down, you idiot! Give me back Haruhi!" Ranka screamed as they saw Haruhi and Tamaki off on their plane.

"Ranka-san! Papa-san! Calm down!" Hani tried.

"I will remember this!" he continued. The guests, who had also come to say goodbye, marveled at his rage. "I will kill you if you even lay one finger on my daughter! You idiot!"

"Eh? Daughter?" one of the guests prompted.

"Haruhi-kun is..."

"He's a girl?" they all asked in unison.

'I thought they knew?'

Kyouya's mouth was agape.

"B-but, you said you knew..." the Twins croaked.

"But, that was about how we thought Haruhi would look nice in women's clothes..."

"And, what about supporting her and Tono?"

"That's because we thought we ought to definitely support their forbidden love!"

"But as fans you try to get as much information as possible!" the Twins persisted.

"Haruhi's conditions are pretty poor, so we thought it would be rude!"

Renge looked broken, "Ehh? Ehh? EEHH? Haruhi's a girl?"

Kirro's mother was crying, half out of sorrow and half out of joy, "I thought I'd have more time with you, baby, but, I'm so proud of you! Making such a grown up decision!"

"I'm sorry, mom!" Kirro wiped the tears out of her eyes. "I promise to call whenever I can!"

"You better!" Aneleigh added.

"But, Kirro, before you leave, I need to ask you something." her mother leaned next to her ear. "Can I trust Kyouya?"

"Honestly?" Kirro blushed. "Yes." she smiled.

"Okay, but..." she glanced over at Aneleigh, who was holding Finn, then she whispered, "just make sure to be safe, okay?"

"M-mom!" the heat rose to her face rapidly. "It-it's no-!"

"Hurry up, Kirro-senpai!" the Twins urged.

"So-sorry, goodbye!" she ran up to the gate that lead to the plane.

"What was that about?" Kyouya asked.

"N-nothing." Kirro laughed, nervously.

"Really?..." he sighed. "I'm surprised she let you go."

"Why?"

"Well, haven't you seen the room plans?"

"Not yet, I haven't had a chance to." she confessed.

He whispered in her ear, "There's a door that connects your room to mine." he smirked and grabbed her hand.

"W-what?" her eyes grew wide.

"You heard me." he raised an eyebrow. He kissed her, in front of everyone.

"We knew it!" the Twins shrieked and pointed.

Hani and Mori, however, just smiled because they knew this would happen.

"K-Kyouya."

"Oh, come now, Kirro, what's the use in hiding it?" he kissed her again.

Her face lit up.

They knocked on the door that was just down the hallway in the apartment complex after the trip, "Good afternoon, we just moved in next door!" the Twins, Kirro, Kyouya, Mori and Hani announced in English.

"Ah!" the door opened to reveal Haruhi. She said, in English, "Hi! Sorry for not introducing myself!"

"Hello!"

She shut the door in their faces.

They pushed the door open.

"Heh? Every room has got the same layout?" Hikaru asked.

"The view from the third floor is very good as well~!" Hani smiled toting Usa-chan.

Mori patted Piyo, who was now fully grown, and Pome as Tamaki's dog, Antoinette ran around his feet.

"You two's rooms are on the fourth floor, right?" Kaoru asked. "Our room has got a huge tree in front of the window." he glared at Kirro and Kyouya.

"Sorry." Kirro chuckled.

"Okay, okay, no complaining about something that was decided by drawing lots." Kyouya smirked.

"G-guys?" Tamaki panicked.

"Ahaha! Did we surprise you?" the Twins snickered. "You know, it was very hard to make preparations the day before the goodbye party..."

"We thought that, well, we would have to study abroad too one day~!"

"And there are also some unoccupied rooms here." Kyouya grinned. "Yes, by the way Haruhi, you took the bold decision to study abroad to pursue your great dream. You can't say that something like this is going to interfere with your studies, right?"

"Aah..." she looked torn. "Aah... No... No!"

Kirro smiled as she woke up in her new bed. She looked over to the clock, 'Ah, that's right, everyone's meeting up later today, and surprisingly I didn't sleep past nine.' she chuckled. She stepped out of her bedroom and wondered if Kyouya was still asleep or not. She looked to the door which joined their two apartments.

'...should I?' her face grew red.

Then she smiled, plotting revenge for all of those times he woke her up in her room.

'Maybe I should change out of my pajamas, first.' she glanced down at her low-cut gray tank top with pink frills at the neck and tiny shorts of the same color. 'On second thought...'

She tiptoed through the doors to his room, where he was still sleeping. She closed the door quietly.

"Wake up, Kyouya." she said a little too quietly. "What was it you said once, oh yes, it was, 'If you don't wake up now I'll have to do something more thorough.'" she chuckled, doing a purposefully bad impersonation of Kyouya, who was beginning to stir. "Come on, Kyouya, wake up." she laughed.

He sat up and in one quick motion pulled her towards him. She fell against his chest. He wrapped one of his legs around her own.

"Do you have a death wish?" he said darkly.

Her eyes widened.

"Or, perhaps, you just wanted me to..." he trailed off licking her neck.

"K-kyouya!"

He smirked, "Kirro, you're in _my_ bed there's no mercy now..." he continued to trail down her collarbone.

"H-hey!" she struggled to get out of his grip and managed to pull away a bit, he kept hold of her wrists. "I was trying to be nice and wake you up so you would have plenty of time to get ready for our plan's today."

There was a pause and he grinned, "I'm surprised... You've gotten a little better at lying."

"N-no! That wasn't a lie!"

"Stop lying to me, Kirro." he smirked and pushed her backward so that he was on top. "You'll only make it worse for yourself."

Her face was bright red as he nipped at her exposed stomach.

"I know what you really came here for." he glanced up at her, an intensity in his eyes.

She tried to get out from under him and was successful due to how tired he was, "But, Kyouya, we have to be somewhere soon."

"They'll understand." he said simply. "Kirro, even if you do get out of this now, you can't escape me for an entire year." he kissed the back of her neck and wrapped his arms around her torso.

She laughed, "Kyouya, would yo-!" she slipped on the blanket that had fallen off of his bed.

He landed right on top of her again, he snickered, "Really, Kirro? I have a perfectly good bed right here, but, if you want to try it on the floor, who am I to refuse you? You probably get rug burn, though."

"Y-you pervert!" she blushed brighter and get out from under him.

He followed her and laughed as he realized she had no intentions of making for the door. He pushed her up against a wall and pulled one of her legs up on his hip, "Against the wall? And you call me a pervert." he kissed her and she kissed him back.

As she pulled away she tried something, she ran her hands through his hair and whispered, "Please, Kyouya-sama." into his ear. He was caught off guard, and she maneuvered him onto the bed.

She straddled his hips and laughed, "You're not the only one who doesn't play fair, you know. I win."

He glared at her, "Oh, we're far from finished, and I don't lose."

"But, we're decided on the 'where', finally?" she chuckled, drawing closer.

"Yes, the bed..." he whispered into her ear. "for now."

"Text Tamaki and tell him we won't be able to make it."

He already had his phone out.

A.N. That was the end of The Creative Type, but, good news, I'll continue this in a sequel that I'll call: Afterward! So, watch out for it!


End file.
